


Straight Roads Ahead

by swampy (HeadedMints)



Category: No Straight Roads (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen, Role Swap, dk west is less of an asshole, nadia and tatiana are the protagonists, tatiana is now nadia's new mom, the bosses are swapped too, vague may/zuke is my specialty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27150590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadedMints/pseuds/swampy
Summary: Nadia is an aspiring musician who dreams of joining Straight Roads Ahead, the leading record label and government of Vinyl City. But when her audition doesn't go as planned, she's set on a very different path - a path offered to her by the mysterious Tatiana, an old guitar player with suspicions about SRA.There's only one certainty in her future now; she'll definitely be playing music, one way or another.
Relationships: Mayday & Tatiana, Mayday & Zuke, Tatiana | Kul Fyra & Eve | Nadia
Comments: 44
Kudos: 113





	1. The Audition

**Author's Note:**

> this idea has been rattling around in my head for a while, and i really wanted to get it down! starting this was difficult, but hopefully that'll be the hardest part. thank you so much for reading, and i hope you enjoy :]

Nadia takes a long, deep breath, trying to scatter the butterflies in her stomach. She takes her hand mirror out of her pocket and checks her makeup again, turning her face in her hand, sweeping her hair behind her ear. It's a scary thing, trying to look good in front of the world. It's even scarier thinking about how she'll have to play in front of it, too.

She clicks her mirror shut with another sigh, picking her synth up from where it's leaned against the wall. This audition could finally be her big break - a chance for her to spread her art to a wider audience. Ever since Straight Roads Ahead came into authority, it's become custom for new artists to recieve their approval first; and Nadia wants nothing more than to be the next to recieve it.

She jumps a little at a voice yelling, "Next, please!"

"Ah, right!" Nadia scrambles to look herself over one last time, checking the sleeves of her jacket, making sure her hair is alright. She stops at the white square marked on the floor, glancing past the camera to the woman behind it. "Sorry."

"I'm going to start the recording now. Please state your name," She deadpans, tiredly, slowly moving her hand up the camera. Something clicks, the red light turns on, and Nadia straightens. "And briefly introduce yourself."

"Hello, my name is... Nadia, and I play the synthesizer." She pauses, reminding herself to recite just as she rehearsed. She sets her hand over her chest, calmly looking ahead and putting on her camera smile, "Above all, I'd like to thank SRA for their allowing me to play for you all. I hope to meet the expectations of both the artists and the audience with my performance today -"

"And... that's good. Thank you, that's all we needed." The camerawoman waves her on, gesturing past the recording area to a hallway not far away. "Follow the arrows and head towards the stage, please."

"Yes, of course." She nods, but hesitates just as she steps off the white square and the little platform it's marked on. Nadia holds her synth in both hands, resting it against her stomach, and awkwardly adds, "Thank you."

The hallway to the stage is absurdly long, littered with scattered equipment and stray cables and wires. She carefully toes her way around the mess on the floor, thankful she didn't wear heels today. She's even more thankful when she has to jump over a wall of crates that's been left in the hall, for some reason. The light coming from the door is blinding; she takes slow, determined steps, and steels herself to face SRA.

The music that announces her arrival is near deafening. SRA's elites, lined up behind a massive podium, loom like giants above her. Their silhouettes are imposing, odd shapes, difficult to distinguish from one another; the only clear figure is that of Mayday, the head of SRA, situated on the highest, middlemost platform, her shadowy outline cut clear against the bright lights of the stage.

"Hello there." At the sound of her voice, the entire audience goes quiet. Nadia suddenly feels the weight of thousands of eyes on her, the heaviest being the collective stare of SRA. Mayday leans forward onto her arms. "Mind introducing yourself?

"Erm..." The butterflies in her stomach are swept in a hurricane. She resists the urge to fiddle with her hair or her clothes, an urge which is increasing in strength, and instead manages to say, "Hello, Mayday. I - I'm Nadia."

"Well... Nadia," She hesitates a moment, turning towards the figure to her left. There's a long moment of silence between them, the second, unrecognizable figure worriedly looking between Nadia and Mayday. But Mayday clears her throat, resuming her position at the podium, "What'll you be playing for us today?"

"It's... I'll be playing psydub." She takes her synth into her hands, holding it against her chest. She taps out the tempo of the music in her head on the edge of the plastic, already quietly tapping her foot to the beat. 

"Alright, then." Mayday nods, silently conferring with the artist beside her once more. She raises a hand above her head, turning to face half the crowd on one side and turning again to face the other, "Everyone! It's time to..."

"Start! The! Arena!"

Her music fills the stage the moment she presses the first keys, echoing over the speakers. The first drone drops down and she steels herself; she's studied audition tapes from years back over and over, and it seems it's the same as ever. She jumps the first few shockwaves and waits for the second drone before smashing through both of them, struggling to keep playing.

She transforms the object they've set down and moves right on to knocking more drones out of the air, getting the feel for the combat they expect. The drones don't have much in the way of defensive capabilites, she thinks, easily destroying the rest that they send at her. Their designs are awfully simplistic, too. She's not quite sure how they could be used as security.

"Good, good." Nadia looks up to see Mayday nodding, praising her. Breathless, she looks around and realizes the whole crowd is cheering for her, yelling her name, urging her on. Her nerves slowly start to dissolve in her adrenaline. Mayday raises her hand again, "Initiate the final phase!"

It's a mess out on the stage with so many drones active at once. She's always moving, barely avoiding most of their attacks, and in her panic she gets hit more than once. She realizes now why they lack defensive measures; it's easy to overcompensate for the lack of it with sheer numbers and brute force.

Miraculously, though now even more out of breath and starting to really sweat, she survives the course. The crowd cheers.

"So?" Mayday asks, casually leaning her cheek into one hand. Nadia takes a moment to catch her breath, looking up at her as she supports one hand on her knee, her synth wedged beneath her arm. She continues, still sounding lighthearted, "How do you think you did?"

"I'd say... er," She breathes, looking out over the crowd. They're screaming her name, stirred into a frenzy by her performance. Their reaction is promising. "Pretty well."

"Mhmm." Mayday looks between her five artists, "Thoughts?"

A buzzer roars over the stadium, sending a hush through the crowd; a massive, glowing red X shines harshly from the base of the podium. So maybe one of them just wasn't a fan of her music.

The first buzzer is followed by another, and another, until all five artists have rejected her performance. No one else before her was this completely rejected - no one else before her was accepted, either, but quite a few of them got very close. Something about all of this just doesn't seem right.

"W - wait, hold on -" She starts, but her voice leaves her once Mayday raises her hand, her heavy breathing the only thing that can escape her.

Mayday's voice is casual, unconcerned, as she says, "Looks like you didn't make the cut."

"But, why -?" Nadia straightens, swallowing her exhaustion. She clutches her synth to her chest, neck craned to look up at the massive figures handing down her judgment. The stage is awash in bright red light, mellow green and harsh red clashing. "I - I finished the course! I made it through, I -!"

"The course is just there to help us see the full measure of our candidates. And obviously," She says, her nonchalance turning into something closer to boredom. There's just enough sarcasm in her voice as she continues, "You don't have what it takes. Sorry, looks like you'll have to come back next year."

"No, no, I - I did just as well as anyone else!" Nadia shouts. A gasp runs through the previously silent crowd, followed by a rush of hurried whispering all around her. She ignores them, still pushing, watching Mayday's shadowed face for any change to her hidden expression. "Who are you to say I don't have what it takes!"

Mayday leans forward enough to bring her out of the shadows; two hollow, dull pink eyes glare down at her, deep creases drawn beneath them. She squints, scrutinzing Nadia - who wilts beneath the intensity of her stare.

"Who else is going to tell you? We," She deadpans, no anger in her voice. Her emptiness about this somehow makes this whole thing worse, as if she'd planned for it to happen. "We have the final say in everything. And like I said before, you don't have what it takes. Simple as that."

"But that - that's not..." Nadia backpedals. All eyes are on her, the crowd furiously muttering and growing louder by the second. She shakes her head, trying to pull the shreds of her confidence back together, "You haven't seen the last of me, you hear me! I'll -"

The final buzzer drones as the final X lights up a bright, eye searing red.

"I've heard enough." The crowd goes into an uproar, thousands of voices fighting with each other to be heard above the noise. Nadia can't understand a word anybody's saying, the sound of the audience deafening. Mayday looks around and scowls, turning to her. "You're done here. Get out."

"You..!" A few of the drones file towards her, set on escorting her out; she smashes through one and drives back the other, backing towards the hallway she came in from. "I'm not done, I swear! I - I'll show you!"

Mayday turns away from the podium, giant figure fading out of view. Slowly, as Nadia weaves her way between security and makes her escape, the rest of SRA follows until the stage is empty and the audience is all that remains, still shouting as loud as a freight train.

\--

Nadia stands outside, bruised in some spots and sore in others, glaring at the flickering SRA sign above the doorway.

She's not sure what came over her in there. No matter how much she tries to reason with herself, her anger won't subside - how could they just outright reject her! She was far better than some of the artists they let down easy, far better than those that barely filled the Qwasa. The little bud of rage bores a hole on her stomach and settles there, refusing to leave. 

She folds her arms across her chest and sighs. She'll just have to head back home and sleep on it, and figure out where to go from here tomorrow morning.

"Excuse me?" A deep voice asks, "You're Nadia, right?"

Nadia looks up to find a large, black clad older woman standing over her. Despite her age, clear in her face, her bare arms are lined with visible muscle. Her dark jeans are ripped across the thighs, her tank top tucked into a thick leather belt and her pants tucked into boots. Her hair is swept back in a short mullet; a small key hangs around her neck.

"...I am." Nadia says, straightening. She definitely doesn't look the type to work for SRA. Nadia looks her over one more time just to be sure, and takes her relaxed posture and calm expression reassuringly. "And you are?"

"Tatiana Qwartz. I saw you at the audition," Tatiana puts out her hand, and Nadia hesitantly shakes it. She fixes the small purple glasses resting on her nose and continues, "I don't know if you saw, but you almost powered the Qwasa to capacity. Truly an impressive performace."

She blurts out an uncontained, "What?!"

"Did you... not see?" Tatiana looks puzzled, cocking her brow. The folds in her forehead deepen, along with those around her eyes. She puts a massive hand on her hip, still confused. "I thought that was why you were so adamant they were wrong to reject you."

"Well, you see, um..." Nadia chuckles, nervously fixing her hair. Tatiana shakes her head, rubbing her temples with her free hand, her visible disappointment potent. Nadia picks her synth up from the wall and tucks it under her arm, waving a hand as if it'll dismiss her actual reasons, "But! Don't you think there's something else at play, here?"

"My thoughts exactly, actually. I can't imagine them throwing away all their prospects for good reason," Tatiana says, deep in thought, hand moving down to her chin, "Especially with the energy crisis we have now."

"Right? Though... it is a lot better than before SRA." Nadia says, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Tatiana makes a face she can't read, expression conflicted. Nadia thinks for a moment, then realizes, "Ah, wait - were you around when the Goolings first disbanded? How was the city like then?"

"It was... hectic, to say the least. Many artists tried to hold charter in order to supply both stability and power," She says, rubbing the back of her neck. The key rattles on its chain and rattles against her chest as she moves. "But none of them held it for very long. The city was in chaos for some time."

"Then five years ago, Mayday came by and took charter, right?" Tatiana nods. Nadia shifts her weight to one side, the cool night air gently blowing her bangs across her forehead. She considers, then continues, "Still, Vinyl City probably wouldn't be standing if it weren't for SRA. It does seem like they're doing their best to help the city recover."

"Nadia... I've been keeping tabs on SRA ever since they came into power." Tatiana says, voice suddenly gravely serious. She furrows her brow, shaking her head with a grim expression; the key rattles on its chain once more with the force. "Something isn't right about it. To be honest, I didn't approach you just to compliment you on your performance."

"...What did you want, then?" She asks, and Tatiana seems taken aback a little by the question. She takes a moment to collect herself, face hard to read. The silence is practically deafening.

"I was going to ask if you'd... fight against SRA with me." She finally manages. Nadia's not sure how to reply, and Tatiana must take that as a hesitance to agree, continuing, "You've likely got a career in music planned out, so I'd understand if you'd rather lay low, but -"

"I can't stand to see more people denied because of some invisible bias, never to play in Vinyl City." Nadia responds. She smiles a little at Tatiana's surprise, plainly explaining, "There's something going on beneath the surface, and I'm not about to just let it go. I'd like to see the truth for myself - and I'm sure you do, too?"

"Yes. More than anything, I want to know why. But," Tatiana pats her on the arm, face softening; her haze feels parental, heavily motherly, and Nadia's not used to such an aura practically radiating off someone. "It's late, and you're probably tired from today. Why don't we talk more about this tomorrow?"

"That's fine. We can meet up at my apartment?" Tatiana nods in agreement. Nadia takes a moment to figure out how to explain, idly tapping her foot against the pavement as she thinks. "It's just past Festival Plaza, down a dead end street. I'm room 373 on the third floor."

"Room 373, got it. Well," Tatiana waves, turning to head towards the station. "I'll see you then. Thank you again, Nadia."

Nadia smiles and waves as she leaves. The moment she's out of sight she loses her posture, clutching her synth to her chest again as she walks the long alleyway to Festival Plaza. The city lights shine brightly all around her, the bustle of the nightlife ignoring her aching march back home.

She's halfway there when she stops on the spot, only now fully registering their conversation. Nadia retraces the exchange, eyes going wide once it finally hits her.

"Oh god," She groans, dragging her hand across her face, "What have I gotten myself into?"


	2. Sayu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, first boss battle down!  
> at the end of every chapter i'll give some songs that helped inspire the chapter! i like to imagine that the boss theme would be similar to those songs.  
> thanks for reading :]

There's a knock on her door early in the morning - though the knock is closer to a single, loud thud, like someone's trying to break the door down. Nadia shoots upright in bed - SRA's probably at her doorstep to arrest her, or do whatever it is they do to people that've done the things she did. She slips out of bed, reaching for her synth and quietly toeing her way across the floor. The pounding continues.

"Nadia?" Tatiana's voice is muffled from behind the door. Nadia sighs, deflating as the tension of the situation abruptly and completely dissipates. She sets her synth down and opens the door. "Ah. Hello."

"You knock like you're going to take the door off its hinges," Nadia jokes halfheartedly, more groggy than anything. Tatiana sheepishly looks down at her hand as if it was the sole cause of the noise - as if it were acting on its own. Nadia steps aside and awkwardly extends an arm, "Um. Please, do come in, come in."

"Right, thank you. So, this is," She trails off, glancing around the apartment as she ducks through the doorway. Nadia watches her slowly observe the place, composite kitchen, living room and bedroom, and she continues, "Your apartment. It's very... cozy."

"Yes, well." She shuts the door behind her and claps her hands together, moving to gingerly usher Tatiana inside, hoping none of her neighbors heard them. "I'm sure we'll have enough room for... whatever it is we'll be doing."

"Don't worry - we won't be doing much here. The best way to bring the fight to SRA," Tatiana gently sets herself down on the couch across from the small TV, hesitating a little when it creaks beneath her. Despite its audible protests, she eventually, cautiously seats herself on one of the two cushions. "Is by hijacking their concerts."

"So, say we hijack these concerts." Nadia says, leaning over to rest her folded arms on the couch's opposite arm. "What then?"

"We either reach SRA's tower out past the furthest district, or," Tatiana folds her hands into each other, voice and face determined. There's something behind her posture and her voice that runs much deeper than Nadia knows - something that permeates her every word. "We make enough of a fuss that Mayday comes to us."

"A bold plan." Nadia studies Tatiana closely, trying to understand the stakes she has in this; but it's like she's trying to complete a puzzle with pieces missing. Tatiana notices her gaze and adjusts accordingly, her grim expression quickly fading. She adds, "A risky one, too."

Tatiana chuckles. "Revolutions usually are. But, one thing at a time."

"Alright, then." She slides onto the couch, which creaks underneath her all the same, and Tatiana seems comforted a little by the fact. "What's our first move?"

"We hijack the closest district: Cast Tech. There's supposed to be a Sayu concert soon," Tatiana pulls out her phone, showing a picture of a promotional poster. "It should be easy to sneak in without having to deal with security."

There's an astronaut in a light pink suit on it, a shooting star painted on the side of her helmet, trailed by stripes of white, blue, yellow, and pink. She's throwing up her hands in two peace signs while a nebula sparkles behind her, long streaks of light glowing in a sea of purple and dark blue. The planets shine, laminated holographic.

"Right, I've seen a few videos of her performances. They're very," Nadia trails off as Tatiana puts her phone away. She thinks for a moment, the poster in mind, "Impressive. She leans really hard into the space theme, doesn't she?"

"At least she's consistent. Lucky for us," Tatiana shrugs. She stands, crossing one arm across her chest, stretching. Rigid muscle faintly defines itself against her skin, a casual show of strength. "Her planetarium's not far. We can head out whenever you think you're ready."

Only now does Nadia notice the guitar strapped to Tatiana's back. It's a stately, black instrument, long as Nadia's torso. It's a simple design with subtle red accents, sleek and uncomplicated. It compliments her view of Tatiana; both owner and instrument exude the same no - nonsense presence.

Nadia pauses, curling a lock of hair around her finger. "Shouldn't we wait until night for something like this?"

"They'll know who we are either way, so," She rolls her shoulders, key rattling on its chain against her chest. Her bold, risky plan is becoming more bold and more risky by the second. "I say we get it over with."

"Well, now's as good a time as ever, I guess." Nadia sighs, heading to her bed to pull her jacket off the bedpost. She shrugs it on on her way to the door, swiping her synth into her arms as she shoulders it open. "After you."

"Thanks again." Tatiana says as Nadia fumbles with her keys, hastily locking the door behind her while trying to balance her synth under her arm. When she doesn't respond, Tatiana adds, "You know, for your help in this."

"We haven't done anything yet," Nadia smiles, the two of them walking shoulder to shoulder down the narrow hallway to the stairs. She steps aside to let Tatiana past her once more at the stairwell, cocking her hip as she stands at the door. "You can thank me properly once this is all over."

Tatiana smiles back, lines creased in her face growing deeper, her eyes softening. She tucks her hand into her pocket, "I'll have to remember that."

The early afternoon sun lights the sky a pale blue as they step out onto the street, soft clouds rolling above the static outline of the rooftops. This corner of the city has always felt warm, a place of comfort meant for her. Their footsteps beat out of step on the pavement, a quiet bassline to the noise of the Plaza. Music blasts out of every speaker, every screen lit up with Sayu. Nadia's never really stopped to notice just how much happens here, but now it all seems so clear.

"It's just this way." Tatiana says, her longer legs and longer stride carrying her ahead of Nadia. They reach the edge of the plaza, a steep drop through the exposed part of the ring. Tatiana kneels down, observes the drop off for a moment, and stands. "We should be able to reach the planetarium from here. Ready?"

"Yes, but how do we -"

Without warning, Tatiana scoops her into her arms and jumps off the edge.

She lands with a heavy thud, knees bent, Nadia clutching to her, frozen. Tatiana stands slowly, carefully letting her to the ground. Two hands steady Nadia, and she looks up at Tatiana, mouth gaping open and eyes wide. Tatiana pats her on the shoulder once, twice, chuckling.

"You seem the type to never do something like that on your own," She laughs, smiling. She gives her another reassuring pat, cheerful as ever despite Nadia's evident shock, "So I thought I'd take the liberty."

"I - you -" Nadia stammers.

"C'mon, the planetarium's just up ahead." Tatiana pats her for a final time, like a coach encouraging a child with a scraped knee, and Nadia trails behind her as they head up the stairs; at the top sits a round, white building with deep purple accents, a gigantic telescope sticking out of the top of it. Tatiana scans the area, "Huh. There really isn't any security."

"Wh - you were expecting some!"

"Not that much! Just a little," Tatiana raises her hands in surrender, waving them in an attempt to calm Nadia's nerves. It's just one danger after another with her, isn't? Nadia's not sure her heart can take much more of this. "But look - there's none at all! No need to worry."

Nadia sighs, shifting her synth in her hands, fingers ghosting across the keys. "She'll probably be right through here, right?"

"Safe to assume so. Are we heading in?" Nadia nods, and Tatiana returns the gesture, placing one heavy hand on the door. She waits a suspenseful moment, then pushes it wide open, letting Nadia inside.

A huge model of the solar system floats in the center of the room, planets revolving slowly in their orbits around the sun. Beneath them, the room is empty; save for a girl in a space patterned hoodie and a long skirt, thick, bright pink platforms glowing on her dark black boots. She whips around, eyes wide behind large round glasses.

"Wh - what're you doing here! This is -!" She shouts, pointing at them from across the room. As the two of them draw closer she squints, leaning forwards to inspect them. "Wait... you're Nadia, from the audition!"

"And you're not Sayu," Nadia says, stopping a few feet from her. Her hands are curled into fists inside her sleeves, her cheeks puffed in indignance; she can't be older than seventeen. Nadia stops, shifting her weight to one side. "So where is she?"

"You don't see her? Well, then -" The girl strikes a pose, overly dramatic. Music starts to play, soft but slowly rising, and her voice joins it as it reaches its peak. She throws up two peace signs, kicking a foot behind her. "We'll show you!"

An astronaut suit appears around her like a shell, light pink with a shooting star painted on the helmet's side. The planets descend from above them, Sayu taking the place of the sun. One of the planets - Mars, dusty red - shakes, then shoots through its orbit. Nadia barely ducks out of the way.

"Let's see if you can get past this!" She calls, her voice crackling over the mic like it's coming through an intercom. Saturn runs by on a track, Tatiana stepping out of the way and taking her guitar off her back, swinging and missing.

"Nadia!" Tatiana shouts. Another planet whooshes past her a few lanes ahead, and she lunges for it once it comes back around, striking it clean in half in a few blows. "Break the planets! That should give us enough an opening!"

"Right!" Uranus cracks beneath her synth, eventually bursting, but leaves no debris. Nadia runs towards Tatiana, playing her synth; Tatiana plays along with her, every chord screaming from beneath her fingers. Sayu winces. "Nice - it's working!"

Tatiana destroys Venus and quickly moves on to Mercury, Nadia following close behind. Her guitar roars, the sound nearly overwhelming. Nadia struggles to keep to tempo, eventually settling in to the baseline. Sayu recoils as the planets shatter, and they continue their work until each one is gone, leaving the solar system empty.

"Ow owow! Cut that out!" The astronaut's suit flickers, revealing the girl inside. She frantically looks around, searching for something in the dark concert hall, and Sayu's shell echoes her every move, She cries out, hovering lower, "Remi, Dodo! I need you!"

Two boys run out from back stage, one in a long black shirt with striped sleeves and the other in baggy pants with neon, glow in the dark straps all along it. The girl droops down to the ground, her suit completely disappearing as her feet touch the floor.

"Tila!" The first calls, skidding to a stop in front of her. A thick glowstick smacks against his chest, hanging on by a thin, worn out thread. "We're fighting?"

"Alright, you know what to do. Remi, you go here, and Dodo -" The boy with glasses - likely Remi - kneels down, fingers locked together against his knee. Dodo takes his boost up, boot resting comfortably in Remi's hands. Finally, Tila jumps up into Dodo's arms, and he raises her above his head. They all shout in sync, "Let's do this!"

Sayu appears again, bigger this time. She sheds her helmet and in its place a soft pink face smiles, hair hanging down past her chin; white, with streaks of pink, yellow, and blue. Her uniform falls off her along with it, revealing a pale blue and white plugsuit beneath it. She poses again, more dynamically this time.

"Ready to go again?" Sayu laughs, snide. The planets reappear along with a ring of asteroids now slowly turning at her feet. She crosses one leg over the other and leans back, sitting on nothing as she floats in the air. The music starts up again, louder this time, and her voice rings out clear, "Let's... go!"

Saturn and Venus shudder and run on their tracks again. Nadia sticks close to Tatiana's side, synth clutched against her chest, the two of them moving as close to one unit as possible. A planet sweeps by them, both of them swinging at once; it crumbles beneath the force and they continue to play against the music, Sayu flinching again.

"Same as before." Tatiana says, and Nadia nods, turning back to the violent galaxy around them. She swings again, fingers flying across the keys, Tatiana's back close to hers. The older woman grunts as she breaks through Mars beside them. "Keep it up!"

Slowly, their music begins to overpower hers. Again the sound of Tatiana's guitar rips through the air, and again Sayu's form flickers and fades, this time gradually revealing three teenagers instead of one. Inside Sayu's chest, Tila raises a hand and a chunk of the asteroid belt rises, hovering in the air for a moment before it comes crashing down.

"Look out -!" Nadia pushes Tatiana out of the way, stumbling into a run along the rings of the solar system. The asteroids shatter on the ground, hot on their heels, but eventually she runs out of ammunition. Nadia stops a second to catch her breath, brushing her hair out of her face, "That was... a close one."

Tatiana nods, breathing a little heavier than usual, "Thanks."

"No - hey! Stop that!" Sayu yells, the voices of her individual pieces all clamoring to be heard. Her body is barely there when she suddenly disappears; the three kids are dropped unceremoniously to the floor, landing in an awkward pile of each other. "Gyaaaaah!"

"We're not enough..." Dodo mumbles, brushing his messy white bangs out of his face. He sits up, removing himself from the pile while Tila and Remi still sit there, dazed. "What now?"

"Should we do... the thing?" Remi asks, looking over to Tila. The three of them silently exchange glances before all nodding at once, in perfect agreement. They untangle themselves from each other and Remi cups his hands around his mouth and calls, "Sofa! Get out here, we're doing it!"

The fourth and hopefully final teenager comes out from behind the stage, eyes entirely hidden by his glasses, scrambling towards the other three. The four of them get together, Sofa and Remi forming the base of the extravagant posing, holding up Dodo, Dodo holding up Tila. There are no cues, no grandstanding.

The shell forms again, but it's not Sayu. A giant robot out of a ninties action cartoon stands before them; its body and head are pale pink; one leg blue, one leg white; one arm hot pink, one arm yellow. It lands with a heavy thump in the center of the planetarium, metal hands in fists at its sides.

"That's it! We're going to finish this -" Sayu yells over the intercom. The robot points down at them, two fingers extended, and above the music a faint buzzing can be heard. "Right now!"

Nadia doesn't react fast enough to avoid the lazer that shoots out of Sayu's pointing hand. It nails her in the side, and she stumbles on an aching leg as it sweeps away from her. The planets swing by again, Mercury nearly taking her nose off her face, and Tatiana's footsteps pound against the ground behind her.

"You alright?" Nadia nods, biting the inside of her cheek - despite the pain in her hip, her leg holds up. She tests her weight on it and manages to stay steady. "Okay. We're almost through, just hang on a little longer, 'kay?"

The asteroids rise up again, and as Nadia slips beneath the lazer and Tatiana jumps over it, moving all the while, they play. Sayu's music weakens, collapsing beneath the force of their own; they fall into some form of synergy, getting a feel for the other's playing. The planets slide past and Nadia watches one strike Tatiana in the side, but she stands and waves her off, quickly returning to her guitar. 

Sayu cries out, the robot sparking at the joints. The asteroids crack against the ground to the rhythm of their new song, sirens sounding, a red light flashing from the robot's eyes. When it's finally had enough the shell flickers again, kneeling down, the four teenagers inside now revealed once more.

"Sorry kids, but looks like we'll be the ones finishing this!" Tatiana yells, splaying her arms wide. She looks over to Nadia, smiling wide, two stately rows of teeth completing the poise of someone who knows how to entertain a crowd, despite there not being one. Her hands land on her guitar, strings begging to continue when she asks, "Ready, Nadia?"

She takes her synth up in her arms. "More than ready."

And in that moment when they play together, they land the final blow against Tila and all the rest. The planets fade away, the asteroids dissolve, and the robot splits in half and disappears completely. The four kids drop to the ground, once again left in a pile on the floor. Tila is the first to sit upright of the four.

"Wh - what's your guys' deal?" She says, sitting back on her legs with a huff. Her glasses are lopsided on her face, resting low on her nose until she pushes them up, fingers barely visible past her too long sleeves. "What're you gonna do to us?"

"We're not going to do anything to you," Tatiana leans down and offers Tila a hand, resting her other hand on her knee. Her face is smudged with dirt and blood, the worst of the bruising along her arms. "Because our problem is with SRA, not you four."

"Your music and your performance were incredible, but you kids shouldn't be involved in this," Nadia says. The other three start to right themselves, a mix of tired groans, bruised knees and rubbing sore heads. She continues, bending down a little beside Tatiana, "This is a lot bigger than just music, and we don't want you to get caught up in this and get hurt."

"You - you'll let us keep playing?" Sofa asks. He looks between the others, all similarly bewildered. "You're not gonna take Sayu from us?"

"Of course not. Us fighting for the right to make music includes your rights, too." Nadia smiles as reassuringly as she can, wincing a little as she puts too much pressure on her leg. "But unfortunately, we're not going to get very far if we don't make a scene."

"So..." Remi starts, fixing his glasses the same as Tila's. His glow stick smacks against his chest again as he sits up, shifting on the spot until he's vaguely comfortable. "What do you want from us, anyways?"

"I, erm... that is..." Nadia mumbles, unsure of what they actually came here to do besides cause trouble. Tatiana's hand lands on her shoulder, and her words die out and land silent on the floor.

"Would any of you happen to know about something called a Platinum Disc?" Tatiana says, slowly looking between the four of them. Her voice is soft, calm as she explains, "We'll need it to get to the next ring over."

Tila opens her mouth to speak but hesitates. Again the four of them exchange quiet, knowing glances, and once they're done she carefully asks, "...Why should we give it to you?"

"I can't give you any solid reason to, true," She shrugs, looking from Nadia to the others, "But I _can_ ask you to trust me. To trust us to do the right thing."

Tila's expression softens, and she smiles. She turns to Remi and nods, and he stands, dusts himself off, and heads backstage again. Tila takes the hand offered to her and stands, moving to help the other two up. They fix their clothes, their glasses, and soon enough Remi comes back out of the dark, holding out a vinyl sleeve.

"You better not go back on what you said!" Tila says as Tatiana takes the sleeve, but her voice is more lighthearted than anything. The other three gather around her, hopeful. "We'll... we'll stay out of this. We trust you, okay?"

"Thanks, kids." Tatiana reaches down to gently ruffle her hair, smiling. Nadia looks at the moment, almost domestic, and finds herself smiling too.

"We won't let you down." She adds. Nadia looks to Tatiana, holding the vinyl against her side with one arm and fixing her guitar to her back with the other. She's obviously tired, sore - Nadia can empathize. "Shall we? We've a long road ahead."

"Right. You kids take care of yourselves, okay?" Tatiana gives Tila one last pat on the head, her hand moving down to her shoulder. Her voice is gentle, face just as much so, "You ought to lay low until this all blows over."

"We will." Dodo says, and all the others nod in agreement. He looks around, brushing a mess of white hair out of his eyes once more. "You're going to be careful too, right?"

"Of course." Nadia turns to leave, waving goodbye one last time. Tatiana follows suit, lingering behind her. "See you! Stay safe out there."

"Bye!" The four of them call, and their voices muffle and disappear as the door shuts behind the two of them and they head down the stairs.

"That went... better than expected." Nadia says, and Tatiana sighs.

"Well, let's hope they're all this easy." She says, taking the Platinum Disc from beneath her arm and turning the sleeve over in her hands. Sayu's album cover is similar to her promo poster, an astronaut deep in space with the stars all around. Tatiana sighs again, tucking the sleeve back into her armpit. "Though somehow, I get the feeling they won't be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the songs for this chapter are:  
> secret garden by aile  
> spectrum by suzumetune  
> galaxy collapse by hero_c
> 
> thanks for reading!


	3. The DJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo sorry this took so long! i've been working on so many other things i wanna write and haven't been making much headway either way...  
> ty for waiting, and for reading!

It's dark by the time they return to Nadia's apartment, both of them justifiably tired and sore. Nadia swings the door open and practically drops her synth near her shoes, and Tatiana follows suit, leaning her guitar against the wall and flopping down heavy on the couch. Nadia slumps against the armrest and sinks to the floor with a long sigh.

"Tatiana," She starts, pausing to a deep breath and exhale. "Is every charter going to be like that?"

"If you're talking about our fight, then yes." She says, the couch creaking as she adjusts her position. She starts to slowly pull off her boots, tossing them down onto the carpet. "They're all going to try their damnedest to keep their districts, and they're only going to get stronger from here on out."

"That so? Then," Nadia huffs, standing. Her leg aches beneath her, her weight still a test it's not sure it can handle. She limps her way over to her bed and buries her face in her pillow, "I'm going to sleep on it. Tomorrow... we can go for the next one tomorrow."

"I'll head home, then -"

"No, don't worry about it." She waves, rolling onto her back. Nadia takes another deep breath and lets out another long sigh, not even trying to ease her way under the covers. She stares up at the ceiling, leaning her head to one side. "You can take the couch, if you want."

"Alright. I..." The couch creaks again, out of her sight. Nadia ignores the long pause, more tired than anything; Tatiana must be just as tired, if not more. The older woman breaks the silence, the couch creaking again as she says, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight!" Nadia rolls over to face the wall, yawning. She clears her throat, grogginess quickly setting in, and quietly adds, "Sleep well."

She's already drifting asleep before Tatiana can reply, eyes shut tight.

"Nadia," A low voice says, a hand shaking her shoulder. Her eyes flutter open, and Tatiana comes into view, all pale muscle and black clothes. She shakes her again, continuing, "Nadia, it's nearly three in the afternoon."

"Tatiana..? ...Ah, right." She rubs her eye as she sits up, stretching. Her aches have dulled a little, and the sun trickles in through the windows, highlighting the dust floating in the air. Nadia mumbles, still waking up, "Another day, another charter, hmm?"

"Yes. Though this next one's going to require some more legwork," The older woman sets herself down on the end of the bed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She shows Nadia yet another poster, this one with much more vibrant, pastel colors. "I'm sure you know who DJ Subnautic Seafoam is?"

"That... mermaid idol, right." She examines the poster with now clear eyes. The DJ has dark, glowing skin, with a deep blue fish tail covered in black and purple scales starting at their waist. Their head is a glass ball filled with crystal blue seawater, a few small fronds of seaweed visible inside. "They've been popular these days, haven't they?"

"All true. They posted their first music video online two years ago," Tatiana says, returning her phone to her pocket once more. She runs a hand through her hair, fixing her mullet. "Back then they were limited to the web, but SRA gave them a space to perform and now the rest is history."

"But... they're not real." Nadia says, holding her chin between her knuckle and her thumb. She closes her eyes and thinks for a moment before turning to Tatiana, asking, "How can we fight someone that doesn't exist?"

"Oh, they're more real than you think." Tatiana stands, stretching, fingers interlocked as she swings her arms behind her back. She turns, and, obviously seeing the confused look on Nadia's face, adds, "You'll see when we get there. C'mon."

They walk back to the end of Festival Bridge and Nadia peers over the edge, down at the silhouette of Sayu's planetarium. The next ring district is disconnected from the bridge at this point, and if they had to double back and take the trains it'd be hours before they made it just to the next district over.

"So, what now?" She asks, putting her hands on her hips.

"Now," Tatiana takes the vinyl sleeve out, gently removing the vinyl itself. She takes the disc towards the edge, turning it over in her hand, and sets it on the dock near the ladder up from the lower city. She takes her guitar from her back, "Now we use the Platinum Disc."

She plays a low, long note, slowly crescendoing, chords rising in pitch and speed as she goes. The entire dock rattles, and the record plays Sayu's music beneath the wail of her guitar, and in the distance something rumbles. With a series of loud thuds, the entire ring turns around to connect with the Plaza, hurtling fast on its track. It clunks into place; the record stops spinning; Tatiana stops playing.

"Welcome to Cast Tech, birthplace of the city's many local tech advancements," Tatiana says, stepping across the threshold. Nadia follows suit, taking in the dull lights glowing throughout the dark, star - speckled district. Sayu is on every screen, advertising one thing or another. "It used to work mainly to improve the Qwasa, but recently they've been diverting energy to something else."

"What is it?"

"No clue," Tatiana shrugs, awfully casual. "But it's certianly not helping the current state of the city."

They reach the end of the ring and yet another cliff gapes open in front of them, the depths so far below as to be practically invisible.

"Let me guess." Nadia turns to Tatiana, folding her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes, "We're jumping again?"

The older woman simply smiles, showing two stately rows of straight teeth.

"Fine. Fine, okay, yes. I'm ready," Nadia says, peering over the edge once more. She takes a deep breath, then another, closing and opening her fists. Butterflies fill her stomach like she's about to head onstage. "I'm ready. I'm ready, and I'm going t -!"

She staggers forward and falls. The wind rushes around her, whipping her hair in her face, and scrambles to focus on landing upright, feet first. The rooftops of lower city buildings quickly become visible, as does the pavement, and she braces herself for a hard landing - a landing that never comes.

Tatiana's caught her again, setting her on her feet. Nadia fumes, furrowing her brows and puffing out her cheeks.

"You pushed me!" Nadia shouts, smacking Tatiana on the arm with the back of her hand and a loud slap. All Tatiana does is laugh, eyes bright with unwarranted mirth. Nadia continues, stomping towards the stairs, "I was about to go, and you..!"

"Sorry, wasn't about to wait another year for you to jump. And you're fine, right?" Tatiana walks beside her, Nadia's anger ineffective in shaking her lighthearted mood. Her necklace rattles as she pats Nadia on the back, hand heavy between her shoulders. "No harm done."

"I - you -! Urrrrrgh!" Nadia groans, rage quickly deflating. She sighs, folding her arms again, tense shoulders hiked up to her ears. Somehow, she's not even mad anymore. "Whatever. Let's just get to the charter and get this over with."

She pats her on the back again. "That's the spirit."

Nadia scans the walkway, pushing through the throngs of people standing at the top of the stairs. There's a screen mounted on the opposite building, displaying the DJ's initials; in front of it, there's a hologram of them dancing, waving one arm on repeat. Music thrums from every speaker as the screen suddenly lights up, the DJ in center focus.

"Long ago, our ancestors left the ocean to pursue a life on land. Now, I come to you, ready to show you the depths of the seas," They say, voice deep and soothing, arms outstretched as the camera pans out. The sound of waves against the sand is quiet, subtle in the background. "And the depths of my heart. Join me, as we dive into the darkest reaches below... and let my music guide the way."

"Real charmer, aren't they?" Nadia says, and she means it. Their popularity is starting to make more and more sense by the second, the crowd in an uproar just from that one teaser. She looks over the heads of the masses as she reaches the front of the hub. "I don't see any security here, either."

"Not out here, no. The real challenge is inside." Tatiana shoves her way through the crowd, people parting to let her through. She rolls a shoulder, guitar quietly shifting on her back. "It'll be tougher to get to Subnautic than it was to get to Sayu. Are you ready?"

Nadia takes a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

The doors of the stream hub open, but not to any real building inside; instead, a wide expanse of dark blue coral and angular strands seaweed sit before them, large clams opening and closing to the music playing within. Nadia looks ahead and sees several security gates hovering in the distance, SRA drones lining the platforms. She takes her synth in hand.

"We destroy SRA's drones, we disable the security locks." Tatiana points to the red lights glowing along the side of the first gate, labeled with a large number one on its pale green glass. "Break through enough locks, and we'll reach the DJ's concert."

"Simple enough." Nadia jumps down from their platform to the next, heading straight for the nearest drone. It yields beneath her synth, as anything else would, and when it careens back and bursts a bright green light flies up towards the gate. Something clicks, and at the end of the platform an arm of coral sprouts.

"Alright, that's enough for this one. C'mon." Tatiana jogs past her, waiting beside the newly grown coral. Nadia joins her, watching as she takes out her guitar, fingers hovering over the strings. "Okay, hold on tight."

As she plays a long, bright blue strip begins to glow along the thickest part of the coral, quickly filling towards the top. Once it does, the coral sings out a long, high note, and Tatiana suddenly grabs her by the hand and leads her forward off the edge.

"What are you -?"

A long, solid beam of light appears beneath their feet, carrying them through the security glass. It shatters on Tatiana, splintering into millions of pieces. The rail leaves them across the gap, standing on the next platform.

"Looks like we'll need to use the rails to get through the gates," Tatiana says to no one in particular; probably mostly herself. She looks to Nadia, smiling with a short nod, "We'll probably be using those more often. You should get used to them."

"Right. We should probably get going," She nods back, turning her head to eye the rows of drones up ahead. They bob in time to the music of the hub, sending out shockwaves on a repeated interval. Nadia shrugs, "Duty calls, and all."

Tatiana moves ahead without another word and smashes through the closest drone in a few swings. Nadia follows suit, and drones, security gates, and security glass alike yield before them. The music hums in Nadia's bones, the upbeat bounce carrying her feet ever forward as they continue on.

"This is it." Tatiana takes a deep breath, gesturing at the large, dark pane of glass before them. This gate is different from the others, framed in pale purple cubes, the low hum of a gentle bassline emanating from within it. "The last line of defense between us and the charter."

"So they're just through here?" Nadia asks. Tatiana nods, slowly taking her guitar off her back. Nadia reaches out, hand brushing against the cool glass, surface so fragile beneath her fingertips. "Now or never, I suppose."

The glass doesn't break so much as swallow them, neatly depositing them on the other side while remaining intact. The DJ, a massive, floating figure in the center of the blocky coral reef and grid - lined, nonexistent water, perks up at their entrance.

"Oh! Welcome, my friends," The DJ turns, tail swinging beneath them, arms slowly waving as they keep themself afloat. They make wide, sweeping gestures, hands gently punctuating their every word. "Are you here to explore the glistening waters of my angelic voice?"

"Glistening waters..?" Nadia mumbles, just barely cocking her head to one side.

"I'm afraid not. We're here for your Platinum Disc, DJ," Tatiana calls. One hand rests on her hip while the other hangs at her side, fingers twitching along the neck of her guitar. She pokes her chin up at them, continuing, "And we'll have it, one way or another."

"I don't know if I can do that..." They hum, putting their hand on what would be their cheek. The water in their head gently turns over itself, small tides peaking in white crests of foam. The seaweed within gently waves. "Besides, Mayday wouldn't be happy to see us fighting! It would be far better if we could just get along."

"I don't think she'd be happy to see us at all." Nadia says bluntly, and Tatiana snorts a quiet laugh, putting her hand her free hand over mouth. "Though if you want to get along, we'd happily take the disc without a fight."

"That's the same thing you asked the first time!" They say, sounding hurt; they fold their hands over their chest and bob a little lower in nonexistent water. In the next moment they're bubbly sweet again, gently pointing down to them, "Let the ocean come over you. I will be its idol, and together, we'll make your anger fade with the tide."

The DJ floats back, arms outstretched, music slowly beginning to ebb from far away walls. As Tatiana steps forward Nadia thrusts her arm in front of her just quick enough to stop her - a thick wave of massive white fish rushes up from the ground ahead. The coral beneath their feet hums to the beat of the music uninterrupted.

"Thanks for the save." Tatiana smiles, undeterred by nearly being skewered by a mass of digital swordfish. Another wave surges from a clear patch in the ground in front of them, swimming along with the beat. "Guess I tend to charge right in, huh?"

"Just... watch your feet, alright? Before you give me a heart attack." Nadia sighs, and Tatiana nods. True to her word, she charges in less recklessly, carefully avoiding the deathtraps ahead of them. Nadia follows after, weaving between torrents of fish, feeling the DJ's song pounding in the soles of her feet.

"Come down here and fight us like -" Tatiana yells, brandishing her guitar in one hand and pointing up at the DJ with the other. They wave their arms to the beat, unthreatened as she fumbles for the words. She finds them, and finally finishes, "Fight us like a fish!"

"I'd rather not fight at all," They say, drooping, holding their fists beneath their chin. Their posture turns cheerful again in an instant, one arm outstretched and the other pressed against their chest as the water in their head gently foams, "Relax - and let the ocean wash your worries away!"

They spin their hands around, moving their arms until they're reaching behind their head; a golden trident appears in with a flash, quickly twirling in their hands until its pointed down towards the two of them.

In the next moment they swim deeper into the virtual sea, tail flapping up and down behind them.

"They aren't nearly as bad as Sayu." Nadia says as they slide along the rail, music building all around them.

"Well, we haven't gotten very far," Tatiana grumbles, taking off running once her boots touch the ground. Nadia sticks close to her, the two of them moving as one practical unit. She continues, narrowly avoiding a patch of ground that spews another wave of swordfish, "And seeing as the environment isn't half as friendly as they are, I imagine it'll get worse soon."

"Wait." Nadia squints, peering down the long stretch of coral. Something large and purple and angular is hovering at the very edge, gently bobbing up and down in front of the DJ. "What's that?"

Tatiana pauses to look, then turns back towards her with a mischievous smile. "I think we've found our fishy friend's weak point."

"You're sure?" The hovering object slowly becomes more defined; it looks like a punch out tray for a figurine, huge pieces of a model of the DJ confined in vibrant, shiny plastic. Little blue waves are painted along the frame.

"Eh, doesn't matter. We'll know if I'm right," She says, hefting her guitar into both hands and grounding her stance. If the frame could think - and if the DJ wasn't busy keeping up their oblivious, charming idol act - Nadia imagines both would be a little more afraid. Tatiana raises her weapon high, "Once we hit it a few times."

The plastic chip makes a loud snap as she slams her guitar into it, a few small pieces flying loose. The DJ recoils like they're the one being hit, hands flying up to cover their face, water rocking violently in the fishbowl resting on their neck.

"No, stop! Hey!" Tatiana ignores them and continues. More pieces pop off the frame, much to the DJ's distress. Nadia stands aside and watches, letting Tatiana go about her work. "Agh -!"

The frame breaks into a million pieces, accompanied by loud crack, glass shattering somewhere.

"No... no, no, no!" The DJ's hands slowly fall from their face, revealing a huge split down the middle of their head, white cracks visible against quickly darkening water. A storm brews inside their head, waves turning violent. "That's IT! I've had enough of you, and I'm not going to let you just -!"

The trident is directed towards the two of them again; except this time, a beam of light shoots out of the center prong, which Nadia barely manages to duck beneath. There's an explosion where the laser meets the ground behind her.

"Run." She turns, tugging on Tatiana's arm. The DJ raises their weapon again, firing off another laser in a blind rage. The swordfish swimming everywhere turn dark blue, bursting out of the ground and turning on them. Nadia finally manages to move her, sprinting towards the rail. "Run!"

Another explosion sounds close behind them, music picking up speed. Nadia barely manages to jump over one wave of swordfish before another comes rocketing towards her, nailing her square in the back. She stumbles, and Tatiana catches her; with one wide swing she knocks away another wave of attacking fish.

"You alright?" Tatiana props her up against her, wincing as she swings again. A stray swordfish catches her in the arm as she leads Nadia further away, Nadia slowly getting feeling back in her feet. "Not much further now. C'mon."

The generator rattles as they play, their music spurred faster by constant incoming threats. Nadia jumps ahead just as the rail forms, feet landing on white, solid light, and the swordfish struggle to keep up. She turns over her shoulder, watching them slowly give up the chase. The DJ similarly disappears, swimming down beneath the platform.

The chip appears again, floating high above the ground. Nadia hops off the rail into Tatiana's waiting arms and is gently let back down to the ground.

"You know what to do." She says, and Nadia nods, rolling her shoulder. She hefts her synth back up into her hands and splays her fingers across the keys.

Their music builds slowly, already more in sync than that of the night before. It rises louder and quickly peaks, looming above the DJ's music with a growing intensity. The chip rattles in the air above them as the DJ themself rises from below the ground, raising their trident high. Nadia feels the music pulsing around them, beneath her fingers and all through the air.

The chip bursts in a shower of plastic, cascading all around them. The DJ cries out and goes limp, twitching, limbs stiff.

"One last push!" Nadia calls. Tatiana nods, hoisting her guitar further into her hands. They lean against each other's backs, playing in close harmony, music growing in strength. It gathers around them in one large mass, taking solid shape - a ball of light builds in size ahead of them. "Ready?"

Tatiana smiles wide. "Time to leave 'em sleeping with the fishes."

Together they play one last long, wailing note, and the ball of light shoots forward, into the air and into the DJ. Glass shatters again, their head cracking open, insides gushing out in a torrent of crystal blue water, quickly wilting seaweed, and pale white foam. They fall to the ground defeated.

From within their empty head a weak light shines; Nadia squints and sees a hatch in the base of it.

"After you." Tatiana bows, hand tucked against her stomach. Nadia rolls her eyes and smacks her in the arm, bending down to turn the heavy handle and lift the hatch open. She jumps inside and is greeted with someone falling back out of their seat, taking the chair with them.

"This is..." Nadia looks the room over and sees plain white walls and a few pieces of simple, dark wooden furniture; she turns behind her to see a complex setup of monitors and systems, the most expensive looking thing in the room. "A rather simple apartment."

Tatiana appears beside her, pointing down at the apartment's sole, startled resident. "And there's our DJ."

The DJ is similar to their digital counterpart, though they've got an actual head on their shoulders. Their braided hair is pulled back into a bun, their huge, round glasses lopsided on their face. They quickly adjust, fixing their glasses and smoothing the wrinkles in their button down and the hoodie on top of it.

"Er - Sayu said you would come, but she didn't say much. I didn't expect you to be so..." They slowly come to their feet, trying to compose themself. They fix their glasses again, taking a deep breath. Their words come out hesitant but polite, "What I mean is, you - you're not going to hurt me, are you?"

"We didn't really want to fight in the first place," Nadia sighs, rubbing a sore spot. She brushes her hair back from her face, wiping the sweat from her brow with it. "I didn't think we'd have to, seeing as you are - were - digital, but here we are."

"We're just here for the disc, DJ." Tatiana says softly, approaching the situation gently. She swings her guitar onto her back and rests a hand on her hip. "We need to see Mayday."

"The disc..? Ah, the Platinum Disc. Well, I -" They pause, fiddling with a string on their jacket. It takes a moment before they cross their arms across their chest. "I'm not sure I should. If Mayday doesn't want to see you, then... it's none of my business. I shouldn't let you intrude."

"DJ." They turn towards Nadia at the sound of her voice. She closes her hand into a fist, resting it against her chest. The words rise up to her throat unbidden, not deeply thought through. "All we want to do is talk to Mayday. It's... it's very important. To both of us."

"Please, Subnautic. The choice you make now could change the course of history in this city," Tatiana says passionately. The key jingles against her chest as she sets her heavy hand on Nadia's shoulder, looming over her. Her face is filled with resolve, purpose. She takes a deep breath, "We're asking you to change it tor the better. Asking you to trust us."

"Well, I - I've always wanted to change history..." They mumble. Suddenly, they light up, deep, dark eyes opening wide as they reach into their jacket and pull out a vinyl sleeve. They clutch it near to their chest, examining it. "This - it better be for the better. You better not ruin my trust."

"Thank you, DJ. I mean it." Nadia gingerly takes the disc from them, smiling gently, wincing a little still. She looks up at Tatiana, slowly easing a hand over the bruised spot on her back, shifting her synth. "Shall we?"

Tatiana smiles back. "God, I thought you'd never ask."

\--

The door creaks open behind Mayday, and the room is silent for a long moment until it finally thumps shut. She turns over her shoulder, away from looking out at the city, and waves. Her invitee hesitates, looking like a deer in headlights, and takes his hand from his pocket to wave back.

"Hey, Adam. Sorry for calling you over," She says, slowly walking out from behind her desk, boots clicking on the glass. The giant clock in the floor travels the seconds with a muffled tick, tock, mindlessly counting time. "I know it's... tough for you, getting out here."

"It's fine. I - nobody even noticed me. It's fine," He mumbles, looking down at the floor. His jacket, silver and holographic, catches the red light from the clock and sparkles. His bare feet quietly tap against the floor as he shifts his weight, standing awkward in the middle of the room. "Did you wanna tell me something? I mean - if you didn't..."

"No, I did! It's, um," Mayday twirls a braid around her finger, dress swishing as she moves to stand in Adam's lowered field of view. He towers over her; she takes his hand in hers and gently presses her thumb to his knuckle. "There've been rumors. People think that..."

She trails off, her own gaze drifting to the ground. Adam puts a hand on her shoulder, wide eyes ringed by deep, dark circles, "What is it?"

"They're saying people saw..." Mayday takes a deep breath, still holding his hand. She bites her lip; if the news is bad to her, she can only guess what it'll mean to him. She finally manages, "They're saying DK West is back in Vinyl City."

"You..." He freezes. His lips move but no sound comes out, his mouth left gaping and empty. It takes a long, long time for his words to come back to him, and even then, it's only a handful: "Is it... is it really, him?"

"I don't know." She says, and she means it. Adam crumples up around her, hand moving from her shoulder to her back, his hair hanging in both their faces. She wraps an arm around his waist. "I don't know, but it's gonna be okay. Promise."

"But -" He starts, voice shaking. Mayday shushes him, rubbing circles into the small of his back. His jacket crinkles.

"I'll... I'll take care of it. You go back to Dream Fever," She pats his back once, twice. His hand holds hers tighter, and she pulls them between them and presses their combined fists against his bare chest. "And you take care of yourself, okay? Don't worry. Just focus on you for now, alright?"

"A - alright. Okay." Adam whispers, still clutching her back, grip still tight on her hand. He takes a deep breath, then another, his chest moving beneath the back of Mayday's gloved hand; his own glove rests between her shoulder blades, clearly one of the few things grounding him. "Th... thank you. Thanks."

"Just looking out for you." Her free hand moves from his back to the back of his head as he leans into her, sinking lower. His long braids dangle in front of his face, loose and pouring over the tops of his ears and off his shoulders. She continues, "We gotta stick together, right? Who else is gonna look after us, but us."

"...Yeah. Yeah." He mumbles. For a long moment, Adam shows no signs of removing himself - but the time finally comes, and he withdraws from Mayday slowly, like letting go of a hand pulled up, or easing into cold, cold water. Their own hands stay interlocked the whole time, even as he draws them away from his chest.

"Want me to walk you back?" Mayday moves her hand onto his wrist, grip gentle and unimposing. His glove bunches up just above his thumb, loose on his thin arm. His jacket crinkles beneath her fingers. "I know the alleyways pretty well. We can go without anyone seeing."

"Sure." He says, eyes staring empty down at the floor. Slowly his gaze drifts up towards her, and slowly his blank expression becomes a small smile. His cheeks flush in two different tones, green and blue darkening on either side. "Thanks again, May."

"Hey," She smiles back, nodding, "Anything for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> songs are:  
> aquatic poseidon by ric  
> otome by suzumetone  
> total sphere by tsukasa


	4. White Oak Jazz Band

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one took so long! life's been taking a lot out of me, and i've had a lot on my plate recently. still, it's important to me that i can get these out to everyone as soon as possible! thank you for waiting.  
> thank you for reading! as of now, we're halfway there :]

"SRA's new satellite has launched without a hitch." Mayday says, hands folded in front of her as she stands at the podium. Her smile is dry, flat, and thin lipped. Her eyes look on in the usual empty stare, the speech sounding practiced to a fault. "This marks a turning point in SRA's history, and is a sign of the prosperity we have brought to Vinyl City in just a few years. The satellite will -" 

"Ugh." Nadia shuts off the tv with a long sigh, leaning her head against the back of the couch. She rubs her temples, scrunching her eyes shut. All this talk of SRA this and SRA that is exhausting; it flies in the face of all their hard work. She sighs again, angrier this time, "Ugghhh!" 

"I take it you saw the news?" Tatiana shoulders her way into the apartment, a paper bag rustling loudly in her hand. She smiles softly, patting Nadia's head as she passes behind her on her way to the fridge. "There's not a word about us, is there?" 

"Not even in the scrolling text. I don't understand, how -" Nadia pauses to put the words together, brain working through a thin film of anger and disbelief. She takes a deep breath and manages to think through her next sentence. "How can she go on like nothing's happened? We've already taken down two of her artists, nearly half her power gone. Shouldn't she be a little more, I don't know..?" 

"Desperate?" Nadia nods; Tatiana joins her on the couch, leaning against one of the arms. She shrugs, "A leader needs to appear strong during times of crisis. Even if she is flustered, she'd never broadcast it." 

"I guess so... I just wish there was more to show for all our work." Nadia sighs again. She reaches for the remote and flicks the tv back on, idly flipping through channels. She lands on paid programming and deems it the best thing on right now, leaving it on for background noise. "Does that make sense?" 

"It does. But what's important is that the work is getting done," She wraps an arm around Nadia's back, resting a hand on Nadia's shoulder. Her face is gentle, her tone motherly. Her eyes are soft behind her glasses. "Even if it's not getting recognized." 

"...That's true. You're right, as usual." The shopping channel drones on, displaying tacky ceramic figurines and leather bags long gone out of style. 

She smiles wide, moving her hand from Nadia's shoulder to give her hair a parental ruffle, "I'm flattered." 

"So," Nadia stretches. Her bruises protest a little, her pale skin discolored in purples beneath her clothes. She's sure Tatiana must share a similar ache, judging by the marks Nadia can see along her bare arms. She puts her hands behind her head and continues, "Who's next on the list?" 

"This one's a bit more... tangible than the others. They'll probably have more security, too." Tatiana pulls her phone out and turns it sideways, showing a large spread shot of six musicians. The first five look incredibly similar, all standing around the sixth - a man sitting at an elegant white piano. "Meet the Natura district's White Oak jazz band." 

She takes the phone from her and examines the members a little closer. At more than a glance, five of the band are all perfectly identical besides their hair, their white suits tailored with different colored accents to match. "Six people are one charter?" 

"Technically, only the pianist's the charter." Tatiana says, pointing him out. A pair of bright green eyes compliments his grey skin, black hair neatly slicked back against his head. His dark suit is a contrast to the rest of their arrangement. "His name's Jay. Mayday's had him aboard for most of SRA's lifetime." 

"What does that do for our odds?" 

"Not much. He's strong, experienced," She gingerly takes her phone back and tucks it away, shifting on the couch as she does. "But he's reliant on his other musicians. We can use that to our advantage." 

"Well, no time like the present." Nadia rocks back and then forward, up onto her feet. She gives one more experimental stretch, knitting her fingers together above her head, soreness moving from one place to another. "Shall we?" 

It's been a few days since their last hijack, but the city is still buzzing with the news; Nadia can tell the moment they hit the street. The sun is low in the afternoon sky, painting it orange and red in preparation for evening, clouds rolling lazily overhead. It'll probably be tomorrow morning by the time they come back home. 

"Sorry, are you -?" A voice asks, with an accent she recognizes. Nadia turns and finds a tall man approaching her, long red hair hanging over his shoulders, sweeping red lines drawn along both his arms. His eyes light up, "Ah, it is you, Nadia!" 

"West?" She knows him well, even if by association. She tucks her synth beneath her arm and cocks her hip to one side, already full of questions. "I thought you left town?" 

"I did. Only came back a little bit ago." He looks around for a moment, visibly thinking of what to say next. Nadia stands patiently, waiting, hoping what does come next comes with answers. He looks like he's about to say something, but then his eyes wander. "Who's this with you?" 

"Name's Tatiana." She sticks her hand out with an air of professionalism, and West returns the gesture. She slowly looks between the two of them. "I take it you know each other?" 

"We went to college together. West went back home out of town not long after." Their hands part. Nadia turns her attention back to West and asks the question that's been tugging hardest at her brain. "Speaking of, how's Zuke?" 

"That's..." West looks surprised. "What I was gonna ask you." 

"...What do you mean?" 

"He hasn't touched his phone in months. I thought he'd be with you," He sighs, resting a hand on the back of his head, looking a mix of disappointed and concerned. "Guess not." 

"I... haven't seen him in a while. But," She takes her synth in her hands again, holding it against her chest. She's quickly stricken with memories she's not sure she wants to bring up. "If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know." 

"Thanks." He lightens up, even if only a little. Yet despite everything he smiles and pats her on the arm, nodding his head first towards their instruments, then in the direction of the plaza. "I'll let you go. You look busy, yeah?" 

"Alright. You stay safe, okay?" He nods, giving her another reassuring smile. Nadia manages to smile back despite the news he's laid upon her, and the new thoughts that information conjures. She waves as they head down the road, "See you later, West." 

Tatiana is silent until they reach the Qwasa; only then does she ask, "Are you alright?" 

"Huh?" 

"You seemed uncomfortable. Back there, with West." She turns motherly again. It feels like she's been hovering over Nadia in the same parental manner for years, even if they've only known each other for a week. She continues, putting a hand on Nadia's shoulder, "Is there more to it than just what you said?" 

"No. It's just... Zuke's my ex - boyfriend. We didn't break up on the best terms," Nadia sighs. Despite Tatiana's best intentions, the memories she dredges up only serve to make her mentally cringe, mostly at herself. "It was kind of my fault. I haven't seen him since then, so..." 

"I'm sure he'll turn up eventually." Tatiana turns her head back towards the bridge, giving Nadia's arm a gentle squeeze. She considers a moment, then adds, "You think you'll be able to smooth things over?" 

"...I don't know. I do want to talk to him." Nadia looks down at the pale neon stars plastered on the road through Cast Tech, watching her feet as they walk. The edge of the district and the end of the bridge are coming into view at the very edge of her vision. She swallows. "It doesn't have to, to work out, I think. I just want to know if he's okay." 

"We... we'll find him. Whether it's through all this or afterwards," Tatiana says, with enough conviction to make Nadia actually believe it. The two of them pause at the dock for the disc, standing there, huddled together. The older woman's hand and her voice are a comforting weight. "I'll help you find him." 

"Thank you, Tatiana. It... Thank you." Nadia slowly takes herself from Tatiana's hold, brushing her hair back behind her ear. She clears her throat, composing herself, lightened by the hope in Tatiana's words. "You have the disc?" 

"Right here." She brandishes it for a proud moment before slipping it out of the sleeve and setting it on the dock. Her guitar slips off her back and into her hands, ever stately and heavy and black. Her fingers gently rest on the strings, a contrast to every imposing part of the rest of her. "Ready?" 

The routine settles into her chest and lifts her spirits as it sets in. She nods, smiling, "Yeah." 

Tatiana's guitar wails like always, despairing under her touch, and the dock and the ring rattle as Nadia plays along. Where they used to play as individuals they now perform as one; synergy comes naturally after what they've suffered the past few days. The next ring clicks into place with a loud thud. 

"You've probably seen Akusuka before. Vinyl City's main tourist trap," She sweeps her arm across the air in front of her, gesturing to the general dark purple neon lights and blue and white brick. People are talking on the street corners, everything awash with color. It's almost sickeningly bright compared to the plaza, and Cast Tech before it. Tatiana continues, "I can't even remember what the district looked like before the DJ moved in." 

Tatiana, in stark black, seems very out of place here. 

"It doesn't seem to suit you much." She smiles a little at the contrast. Tatiana gives her a questioning look, one that promises to humor her. She points between her clothes and the buildings around them. "The district, I mean." 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tatiana smiles, putting a hand on her hip. Her boots thud against the pavement with every step, continuing in their usual, stately fashion. "I'll have you know that when I was your age I was at parties every night, from here to the outer ring." 

Somehow Nadia can't imagine Tatiana looking any different from how she looks now; her face is not hers if it isn't weathered by age, her body isn't hers if it isn't muscular but clearly past its prime. Removing her from her current context seems to only strip her of who she is. 

"I can imagine," Nadia lies. The next sheer drop at the end of the bridge quickly comes into sight, faint white buildings down far below. She turns to Tatiana. "I think I can jump myself, this time." 

"Suit yourself," She shrugs, as if this isn't the second worst thing Nadia'll be doing today, the first being everything that comes afterwards. Tatiana nonchalantly steps off the edge and turns up to face her as she falls, disappearing into the distance. Her voice rises up as she falls down, "Don't leave me hanging!" 

Nadia takes another step, toes just barely over the edge. There's a warm breeze drifting from below, gently blowing her hair around her face. She takes a deep breath, then another, feeling each deepen further with repetition. She takes one foot over the open air; her stomach turns. It only takes one final, long inhale before she parts from the pavement completely. 

The initial nausea washes over her the moment she feels the air against her skin, sharply cold in her nose with every breath. Her jacket billows out behind her, whipping violently in the wind, even her sleeves catching the air. It's a sudden rush, a shock to her system, and when she touches the ground she's more awake than she's ever been. 

"Not bad, right?" Tatiana asks. Nadia nods, speechless, fixing her hair on autopilot. Tatiana laughs and pats her on the arm a couple times, "Alright, shake it off. Concert hall's just up ahead." 

The path up to the hall is lined with neat rows of bushes and trees, branching off into outdoor seating and small parks. The whole place is awash in a soft, pale gold glow, and the air is comfortably warm. Their footsteps click on white stone as the path opens up to a small plaza, a large, marble fountain in the center. It feels completely different from the rest of what they've seen of the undercity. 

"I don't know what this charter's like, but his district is awfully comfortable." Nadia takes a deep breath, shoulders slowly rising and falling. Something in her chest starts to unwind. "It's a nice change of pace." 

"Be sure to enjoy it while you can, then." Tatiana stops ahead of a large white gate, lined with golden, metal roses and long, tangled vines. Past the gate is a long stone path leading up to the distant concert hall. She shrugs her guitar off her back and into her hands. "Who knows when we'll be back." 

"We should probably just get this over with. Business before pleasure, right?" Nadia shrugs, taking up her own instrument. She rests a hand on the gate and it rattles beneath the slightest pressure, closed but not locked. "You'll have to show me around next time." 

Tatiana's hand joins hers on the gate, and she smiles. "Be sure to remind me." 

The metal creaks softly as they push the gate open; the stone path seems completely unguarded. Yet as they reach the peak of a hill the stone path becomes a series of divided platforms, piano gently drifting through the air alongside. Drones patrol the segmented path up ahead. 

"And it looked so easy from the gate." Nadia sighs, much to Tatiana's amusement beside her. Despite her complaints she's the one to take the lead, heading towards the first of the platforms. 

Tatiana chuckles, "Easy's no fun." 

"Well, boring's nice sometimes, too." Nadia swings once, twice, three times at the first drone she approaches and breaks it to pieces. Tatiana follows suit, rushing ahead and quickly crushing the other two. "One day I'd like to just waltz right in to the main event ass - kicking. Skip the tedious part entirely." 

"Maybe if we call ahead they'll have a red carpet laid out for us." Tatiana says as they jump onto the rail that bursts out of a giant golden rose. Nadia elbows her in the side with a roll of her eyes once they touch down on the next platform. Tatiana laughs, "C'mon, that one was pretty good!" 

She rolls her eyes again, smiling. "Whatever you say." 

Security is somehow lighter here than it was at the DJ's performance, and they make quick work of the drones and gates without much trouble. Again Nadia feels this comfortable synergy settling between them, making things easier with time. The energy Tatiana brings to a fight is an almost warm presence now, less off putting than it was before. It sets Nadia at ease. 

The final piece of security glass is lined with pale golden, metal vines, curling around the frame. The glass churns a milky white, opaque like a murky pool. They nod to each other, steel themselves, and step through the barrier and beyond the threshold. 

The glass deposits them at the end of a long, ornate hallway, a yellow carpet beneath their feet. Tatiana gives her a wry smile; Nadia gives her a look before she can say anything about the welcome. 

Their footsteps feel impossibly loud in the quiet, calm atmosphere of the hall. The band plays softly from the stage, rows of seats completely filled with a packed audience. They catch most their eyes as they walk down the center aisle, and the piano abruptly stops once they make it to the foot of the stage. 

"Something the matter?" Jay asks, leaning out from the piano. He scrutinizes them for a moment, green eyes narrowing until they go wide open, his band still playing around him. "Wait, you're -" 

"The ones moving the districts, yes." Nadia says, putting a hand on her hip. Jay signals for the band to stop playing, and the hall falls silent. Suddenly Nadia feels very far out of her depth, confidence wavering. The words fail her. 

Tatiana puts a hand on her shoulder and nods, then turns her gaze towards the stage. "We'll be needing your disc, Jay. Now, we can do this the easy way, or -" 

"I won't surrender my district just because you ask. It'd be a disservice to everything that's gotten me this far!" He huffs, frowning. Jay rolls his neck and interlocks his fingers, stretching, bedore he rests his hands on the keys once more. After a few cursory notes, he raises a hand to the rest of the band. "Boys, gimme one with a beat!" 

Tatiana sighs, "Hard way it is." 

The music starts up again, now fast and nearly violent. Jay's hands fly across the keys, and the other musicians play just as fervently; the saxphone howls, the trumpet blares, the trombone bellows, and the bass and the drums carry a heavy, fast beat. Nadia hops up and is almost immediately pelted with a physical wall of music, notes heading down the stage. 

"Aim for the rest of the band for now - umph," Tatiana pulls her by the arm and out of the way of another row of notes, shifting her guitar to one hand. Nadia dusts herself off and quickly steps back as another note slides between them. "We pick off the weaker ones and Jay'll be easier to get to." 

"Right. Just need to find an opening." She slips through a gap in the wall of music, slowly feeling out the rhythm of the band. She never was a huge fan of jazz, and it's swung in just the right way that she can't really pin down the beat. "Mind taking the lead on this one?" 

"Not at all." 

In the next wave Tatiana lunges forward, swinging wide at the nearest band member. The trumpet player, white haired and standing at the center, recoils beneath her guitar and lets out a sour note. Nadia quickly follows suit in the opening she's made and joins the pummeling. Curiously, now that she's closer, the trumpet player seems almost doll - like, his skin almost wooden. Something about him seems almost fake. 

They're not at it long until he suddenly drops to the ground, the rest of the band pausing all at the same time; more freezing in place than stopping to look. Nadia hesitates. Tatiana presses their sudden, rather suspicious advantage and plays in their place, guitar dominating the piano and quickly stealing the show. Jay recoils on the bench, fumbling across the keys. 

"Tatiana, something's not right." She grabs her by the shoulder, the hall now in complete silence as her last chord echoes off the distant dome ceiling. Even Jay's stopped playing, looking something adjacent to smug behind the piano. "The band -" 

In the quiet of the hall, a branch snaps. 

Nadia turns and finds that there are no longer five band members, four standing and one lying on the ground. Instead, one giant band member stands, hair colored red, white, green, yellow, and blue, wood grain visible on his skin. He reaches down and lifts both pianist and piano into his hand, the roof of the hall falling away and leaving only the stage and the audience behind. 

"This is... an unexpected surprise, isn't it -" Nadia manages, looking up at the massive tree before them. The music resumes, just as upbeat as before, and the notes continue to appear on the ruined stage. The rhythm steadily grows more and more complex. She barely avoids a sixteenth, "And not a welcome one!" 

"Fascinating, though!" Tatiana says. She rolls out of the way of one note and right into another. Her side of the stage seems to be getting more and more crowded with the melody, and she weaves through some measures and takes others head on. "Just try to keep playing, they can't hold out forever!" 

From where she's standing, dodging between the projections of their music, it seems like they actually can keep going forever. 

Yet she plays and tries to keep her feet moving, a little off beat, a little out of tempo, dancing between notes as best she can. Across the stage Tatiana's guitar wails, as if lamenting her lack of rhythm. Her own playing throws her out of step and into harm's way, the music crashing over her. Her fingers slip from the keys. 

There's a lull in their song and Nadia lists forward, near dead on her feet. In the next moment she sees two things; Tatiana quickly crossing the stage, guitar slung against her back, and a giant hand coming down from above them. She can feel the air being displaced, blowing her hair around her face and tugging on her jacket. 

"Jump!" 

Tatiana notices at the last second and stops in her tracks, managing to sneak between two fingers on her way up. A shockwave spreads across the stage, the ground just barely cracking beneath his palm. He waits for the next beat and repeats once or twice. The music picks up and he pulls his hand away, and Tatiana and Nadia meet up on one side. 

"Guess we've got a time limit, now." Tatiana points her boot towards a thin crack in the stage, more of them spider - webbing out from the center to the each edge of the remaining stage. "Better finish this before we don't have a leg - er, platform - to stand on." 

"I'm not used to the rhythm!" She calls over the rising beat. A note divides them, whipping between the two of them faster than the ones before. Nadia turns between guitarist and the imminent threat, trying not to get herself killed. "I can't get a feel for it!" 

"Then ignore them, and listen to me!" Tatiana yells back, like it's the most obvious thing in the world; in a way, it is. Nadia nods, and Tatiana hefts her guitar into her hands again with a wide smile, her shoulders set firm despite visible exhaustion. She breathes, quiet but so, so loud, "Let's give them a show." 

Her guitar howls the bassline, loud and deep enough to shake the sky and bring it crashing down. Above them the stars seem to rattle like stage lights on an invisible black scaffold, and the overwhelming force of her playing nearly knocks Nadia over. She seems to glow in that moment, light shining softly from every crease of her skin, from within her and all around her. The implied, nonexistent light warms Nadia to the core. 

She tunes out every other sound and feels the rumble of Tatiana's guitar in her bones. She follows the low beat and plays along, opposite instruments meshing together with newfound strength. The tree above them winces, the notes staggering, the music collapsing in on itself. It's not long until he slumps forward, palm outstretched, and his hand slams into the stage. 

"Time to finish them off!" Nadia calls, sweating, energized. Tatiana nods, reeling back, smiling wide as ever. 

The ball of light gathers in front of them again, brighter and larger than before. They lock eyes and strike a shared chord, sending it rocketing forward into both pianist and tree to destructive results. The tree parts into the five separate members with a wooden crack, and the concert hall returns around them, even if it's in shambles. 

The piano isn't exactly in pieces, but it isn't in good shape, either. Jay and his band are lying on the stage, the former very out of breath and the latter all seemingly unconscious. He looks up at them, green eyes watery and wide, scowling. 

"Do whatever you want. Break my piano, break my boys," He says bitterly, bottom lip quivering. Nadia feels a pang of guilt lance through the euphoria of another successful fight. His hair all a mess, his suit wrinkled and unkempt, he swallows, "But you won't break me. I'll have you know, I -!" 

"We're not going to do anything to your musicians, or your instrument. We just want the disc," Tatiana sighs, sweeping her hair back from her face. The odd glow around her is beginning to dissipate and for a moment Nadia wonders if it was ever there in the first place. Tatiana continues dryly, "Like we said before." 

Jay, still scowling, reaches into the piano and withdraws a vinyl sleeve. He tosses it onto the floor as he steps away from the bench, dejected. "Take it. It's not like I'll need it anymore." 

"We'll bring it back once we're done..?" Nadia awkwardly chimes in as she takes the disc frok the ground. Jay kneels down beside one of his band members and turns his face between his thumb and forefinger, furrowing his brow. He moves on to look over the green haired wooden boy without acknowledging her. 

"We should go." Tatiana's hand lands on her the shoulder, and she offers a sympathetic smile. Nadia nods, gaze lingering on the whole scene, watching the pianist slowly move from one white suit to the next. Tatiana pats her once, twice, softly urging, "Come on." 

Nadia glances back as they walk down the center aisle and sees Jay hefting the blue haired boy onto his shoulder, setting him up against the back of the stage. The red haired one is starting to come to, and she can distantly hear Jay's voice, consoling, as he crouches down in front of him, a hand on his back. The red boy sits up and rubs his head, looking confused. He looks between the others and seems to only understand less. 

Nadia turns back towards the end of the gold carpet and walks back towards the security glass, vinyl sleeve tucked beneath her arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please check out madsangrient's fanart for the fic! it's really something special. can find it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494039/chapters/69820533
> 
> edit: forgot to add the music inspo! for this chapter, it's  
> recollections by yamajet  
> zauberkugel by xi  
> bloody purity by eyemedia


	5. Yinu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one went in a bit of a different direction than i planned (which is why it took a while longer), but i'm happy with where it's at! there's only a little left before this fic's finished, so thanks for sticking with me!  
> i hope you enjoy it! :]

"Nadia? You awake?" Tatiana asks, putting a hand on Nadia's shoulder. Nadia groans, scrunching her eyes shut tighter. Tatiana pulls the blankets back over her and pats her on the arm. "Just letting you know, it's nearly noon. I don't care how long you're planning on sleeping, just -" 

"M'up, I'm up." Nadia mumbles, weakly waving her hand away and she sits up. She yawns, stretching, hearing bones pop. The sheets fall off of her and into her lap, and the air is cold against the warmth that was trapped under the covers. She rubs the back of her hand against her eye, yawning again. "...Sorry. Did I keep you waiting for me?" 

"No, I only woke up a little bit ago myself." She shrugs. Nadia swings her legs off the edge of the bed and stands, stretching again, straightening. Tatiana sighs, "Last night was exhausting." 

"Tell me about it," Nadia fumbles around for her jacket, peeling it off the floor and pulling it on. She fixes her hair behind her ear and runs her hands through a few loose tangles, trying to muss it enough to be presentable. She leans back, hands resting on her waist. "Feels like I got hit by a truck." 

"Well, the worst should probably be behind us." Tatiana thinks for a moment, looking up at nothing as she goes through what must he a checklist in her head. "Most of it, at least." 

"Well, then." Nadia migrates from the corner of the room to the couch, flopping down onto the further seat. The metal bones creak, old and frail and always complaining. "Who's next?" 

"This one's going to need a little more of a delicate approach." Tatiana says as she lands in the seat next to her, to the couch's repeated distress. She pulls out her phone and taps a few times, turning it towards Nadia and revealing a dark poster, a stark contrast to the rest she's shared. "Yinu, SRA's youngest artist. She's a prodigy mechanic and an excellent musician." 

The poster shows a young girl with rosy cheeks and bright yellow hair tied away from her face in two buns. There's a streak of oil smeared on her face, more of it stained on her dull yellow overalls. Electricians gloves reach up to her elbows. Her boots are worn and industrial, once brown but now nearly black. She's smiling, happy and dirty, holding a pair of goggles up on her forehead. 

All Nadia says is, "She's awfully young." 

"Yes. I think she turned nine earlier this year." Tatiana muses. She tucks her phone back into her pocket, settling back into her seat, throwing her arms across the back of the couch. She thoughtfully tilts her head to one side, "We need the disc. But if the others are any indication, she's going to put up a fight." 

"I assume you don't want to fight a child? Because I don't." Nadia asks. Tatiana nods, lips thinning in an awkward not - quite smile. Last night's hijack still doesn't sit right with her, heavy in her chest and weighing on her mind. "I can only hope we'll be able to resolve this peacefully." 

"Well... hope for the best, prepare for the worst, right?" Tatiana pats her on the back, the same awkward burden obvious in the way she moves, in every line of her face. Paling bruises along her arm are overlapped by newer ones, and Nadia once again shares with her in that regard. Tatiana clears her throat. "If we keep going at this pace, that's all we've really got." 

"Just need to keep up the momentum. Soon enough, it'll all be over." Nadia says, even though she can't really think of what comes next. This cause has filled up so much of her life, and she can't quite figure what happens when it's fulfilled, or what she'll have to move onto afterwards. Even music is different to her now. Everything seems to have changed so much. 

"You make it sound like the world's ending." Tatiana smiles, softly, wrapping an arm around her and gently pulling her against her side. She's warm, comforting. The lines in her face deepen, like thin cracks in stone, creases long worn in pale grey skin. "We finish this, and then what comes after comes after. If we haven't figured it out by then, well, I guess figuring it out'll come first." 

Something in Nadia's chest starts to loosen, and her heart starts to unwind. "How do you always know what to say?" 

"You talk long enough, you get pretty good at it. And I'm older than dirt," She ruffles Nadia's hair, chuckling. Nadia's reminded of her own mother, and how long it's been since she last saw her. Tatiana, unable to read minds, gives her one last pat on the head. "So I've had plenty of time to practice." 

"You're not that old," Nadia says as she waves Tatiana's hand away, unable to resist the small grin breaking out on her face; her warmth spreads, as if it's contagious. 

"I like to tell myself that, too." She laughs. But her faces from joking to consoling, smile softening, gaze growing tender. Tatiana gives her another pat on the arm, physical as ever. Her motherly touch is a comfort Nadia's been growing used to. "Still, try and think about it as something new beginning, not just something old ending. Okay?" 

"You're right. As usual." She plants her hands on her thighs and stands, rolling her shoulders back. Her shoulderblades touch and she sighs, feeling lighter than before they'd talked. "So, what's our plan?" 

"Since she's not performing, Yinu should be prepping for her next concert." Tatiana stands up beside her. She reaches down for her guitar and pulls it out from beside the couch, slinging it across her back. "We'll head to the next district and make the jump, same as always." 

"Guess we've never had much of a plan, huh?" She sighs, peeling her synth off the floor on their way to the door and wedging it beneath her arm. The door thuds shut behind them. 

Tatiana elbows her in the side as she digs around in her pocket for her keys, "Again, it's more fun that way." 

The city is more alive than it's ever been, buzzing as they head down the road to the bridge. People glance over at them with varying degrees of awe, respect, and suspicion alike, and the Qwasa flickers and turns as they walk past it. The attention does nothing to impede them, thankfully, and they quickly make it to the next dock. 

Nadia takes the sleeve out of her pocket and slips the vinyl free, pausing. She's reminded of their victory - and more importantly, the aftermath. The disc lingers in her hands. Tatiana, beside her, says nothing, patiently watching her as she slowly slips it onto the dock and pulls down the needle. 

The piano sweeps elegantly through the piece as Nadia takes up her synth and plays, matching the melody. Tatiana follows suit and plays softly, riding the bassline, as stark contrast to her usual style. The dock sways and the ring rattles on the track, and the two of them calmly echo the disc's song as the next ring slowly slots into place. The music ends, their hands fall. Tatiana gives her a comforting look before turning back to the path ahead. 

"Welcome to Natura, the lungs of Vinyl City." She says, sweeping her arm ahead of her as they walk. The streets are lined with lampposts, the entire district bathed in a warm light. Trees and bushes occupy most of the area and leave the air clear and crisp, and vines tangle through the cobble of the road. "Jay converted the whole district into a park when he became charter. I think it used to be... a commercial district?" 

"I think I like it better as a park," Nadia says as she observes the place, taking in rows of flowers and sweeping, golden arches, short wooden bridges stretching over miniature rivers. It's delicately styled to match Jay and his band, with pops of vibrant color decorating a massive amount of white and gold. "Though I guess I don't know what it was like before." 

"I'll agree with you there. The commercial distrcit was getting to be a bit of an eyesore." Tatiana shrugs. She nods towards the end of the bridge and the deep, black expanse of an industrial landscape vaguely visible beyond it. The district they're in and the one that lies ahead feel almost like two separate worlds. "Yinu's district is more like how Natura was before. Little too flashy for my tastes." 

"I guess we shouldn't linger too long, then." Tatiana nods. Nadia flashes her a mischievous grin and darts towards the end of the bridge, flinging herself off of it and into the dark fall below. She laughs and calls back up to her, shouting against the wind, "See you at the bottom!" 

Her feet touch the ground moments before Tatiana's do, and she looks up at her to find her staring back down with a smile. 

"You better not keep stealing my thunder. Showing off's my thing!" She jokes, and Nadia gently punches her side, laughing. Tatiana rests a hand on her head and musses her hair, setting her other hand on her hip. She chuckles, "Every bird's gotta leave the nest someday, huh?" 

"Well... if you'll let me." 

"Of course." She nods, still smiling. Tatiana moves her hand to Nadia's back, encouraging, gently urging her forward, and Nadia takes her synth up into her hands with renewed motivation. Tatiana sounds behind her, motherly as ever, "Go ahead, then. I'll try to follow your lead." 

Tatiana follows close behind as they walk down the middle of the road, groups of people gathered on either side. Neons lights shine bright around them, dancing across dark pavement and tinted windows. The crowd rumbles with activity, people talking, moving along the street. At the very end of it is a solitary building surrounded by stout, black walls; a huge, dark house, with two tall windows on either side of a set of large doors. 

"It's more a mansion than a concert hall." Nadia says as they open the wrought iron gate and step down the path, paved road turning to stone. There's a garden outside that's all muted colors but very much alive, flowers and leaf plants in an organized arrangement. 

"She probably doesn't perform here. Last I checked, she's got an actual venue somewhere else." Tatiana pauses to examine the yard, the edge of her boot passing into the grass. The gate slowly creaks and thuds shut behind them with a metallic groan. Neon lights continue to obliviously shine, unable to understand any incoming danger. Tatiana looks down towards the doors. "Guess we're going inside." 

The house is eerily quiet. Despite its expensive exterior, the inside is homely and uncomplicated, though still just as large. A spiral staircase leads up to the second floor, which sports only a small hall and a few doorways. The ceiling is high above them. The foyer is expansive, and empty. 

"It feels wrong, searching the whole house." Nadia cranes her neck to scan the room and sees no lights on, no doors open. Tatiana seems to be doing the same beside her. "She probably would've been alerted to us if she was here, right?" 

"Could be. Let's head out the back," Tatiana rolls her shoulder, the muscles in her back shifting beneath her shirt, rolling with it; her guitar rises and falls in time with the motion. "If she's not around there, we'll have to look back inside." 

"Right." 

Their footsteps echo off of distant walls as they walk through the house, wandering until they find the back door. The backyard is shorter than the front and a little more barren, the house angled so that it must not get much sun. Dirt peeks through patches in the grass, small wild flowers growing loose in long cast footprints. 

"Nadia, over here." Tatiana waves her over to one the side of the yard. There's a thin pathway leading further away from the house dug into the earth, old, worn bricks set into muddy walls. A long stone set of stairs leads down in, cracked and long abandoned. Tatiana glances between her and the open tunnel, "We should check it out." 

"Alright. Be careful," She says as they both slip into the tight space, one behind the other. Above them, part of the ring covers up the sky; the afternoon sun is starting to sink lower, and as the world slowly grows darker Nadia finds herself wishing for the gaudy neon lights to return. 

The opposite end of the narrow passage opens up into a massive, wide open field. Electronic music softly fills the air, low buzzes and gentle high tones. In the middle of the music the charter sits, legs crossed, goggles hanging around her neck. Laying beside her is what appears to be a massive machine, covered in a coat of moss and flowers. 

"Yinu?" The music stops at the sound of Tatiana's voice. Yinu startles and looks up, staring wide eyed at the two of them. Her guitar stays fixed to her back, her hands raised in a sign of peace, surrender. "Easy, we're not looking for a fight. We're -" 

"But you broke Jay's piano." She says. Her hand lands on the machine, creating a small, shallow impression in its mossy cover. She turns towards the machine and frowns, looking back to the two of them. "Are you going to break my things, too?" 

"No, not if we can help it - I mean -" Tatiana sighs heavy and loud, dragging a hand across her face. Nadia quietly watches her fumble, and if she was half as mature and the situation half as dangerous, she'd probably be laughing. To her credit, Tatiana continues,"We don't want to hurt you, or break anything. We just need the district's disc." 

"Mayday said... that you said that before, too." Yinu brings both hands to her chest, clasping them together and shutting her eyes tight. There's a low rumble beneath their feet as she lifts her head, pulling her goggles over her eyes. The ground shakes. "She said not to give the disc to you, either." 

"Of course she would," Tatiana mutters, face returning to her hand. 

The machine rises, shrugging off its earthy cloak and revealing itself; it's built in the shape of a woman, wires and cables hanging from her head fashioned like hair, a glowing white heart imprinted on her forehead. She stands and opens two bright, white eyes. A few flowers are caught in her joints, small red blooms trapped between metal plate. 

"Another giant robot." Nadia takes her synth in her hands and takes a few steps back. The robot rises up behind Yinu, standing at the ready. Yinu raises her hands to conduct, and the music rises with her. Nadia turns to Tatiana, "You know, if I had a nickel..." 

"At least we've had practice." She sighs, pulling her guitar off her back. The machine outstretches her hands above the small girl and reveals a glowing palm; a bright beam of light shoots out of it, which the two of them split up to avoid. The sheer force of music that crashes against them staggers Tatiana, and she chuckles drly as she gets back upright. "This feels awfully familiar, huh?" 

"Ugh, don't remind me," Nadia groans, rolling out of the way of another laser. She slides back onto her feet and adjusts her grip on her synth, playing a sour note when her fingers slip. "Sayu gave me the worst bruise! It probably still hasn't healed." 

"My advice? Don't get hit." She grunts. 

The thick electronic hum of Yinu's song lies heavy over their own instruments, overpowering even Tatiana's powerful chords. Her music drowns theirs in a massive wave of sound, and Nadia only barely starts to hear the sound of an acoustic guitar once she's practically standing against Tatiana's back. 

"I'll take the bassline!" Tatiana calls, leaning into her. Nadia nods back, quickly changing her strategy, following the melody until she finds a place to interject. Slowly, their music grows stronger, above their opponent's. Tatiana grins. "That's doing the trick! Keep it up!" 

The machine's metal bones groan, musical supremacy now disputed. Yinu directs her attacks predictably, now that Nadia can follow the rhythm, and the open field provides plently of space to maneuver. While it's not like the young charter isn't a threat, she's one that's slowly becoming easier to manage, and one that no longer seems an impossible obstacle to overcome. 

At the peak of their sound, completely overwhelming, the lights on the machine flicker, and she slumps forward with a thud. The music abruptly stops and Yinu whips around, pulling her goggles onto her forehead. 

"Mama!" She rushes over, tiny, gloved hands brushing along the side of a massive, metallic face. Her hands search until they reach the heart on her forehead, and when she pushes on the glass the heart opens, a cloud of steam coming out. She turns towards the two of them, scowling with a strength that only a child can muster, "I'll show you, you - bullies! We'll both show you!" 

Yinu climbs onto her mother's hand and scrambles into the heart, settling into a small seat in the cavity in the machine's head. She stands again, her cables straightening as she does. Her eyes narrow, angrier than before. The music strikes up again, faster, more intense. 

A rocket rises from the mother's back and lands square in the center of the field, and Tatiana is caught in the explosion and thrown back towards the pathway. Their own music stops completely as Nadia sets her synth aside to help the older woman up, dusting her off. Covered in mud and bleeding from her browline, Tatiana laughs weakly, wincing. 

"What kind of parent... packs military ordnance," She chuckles, dragging her guitar off the ground. She wipes her arm against her face and it comes away red, black leather soaking even darker. As she stands she waves Nadia away, taking her guitar up again, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Let's finish this up and let 'em have it." 

"...Right." Nadia grabs her synth from the dirt and takes the new melody, a bright synthesized sound set against a heavier one. "Just be careful." 

"You know I never am." Tatiana laughs again. The low growl of her guitar picks up the slack, supporting Nadia's playing, driving back Yinu's. She fires another missile and a quick clip of bullets, which Tatiana barely avoids. She huffs, frowning. "But maybe I will be this time." 

"She's getting weaker. Frantic, too." Nadia slides on her knees and slips beneath a stray round, muck covering her jeans. She quickly pushes the impending nightmare of doing the laundry afterwards out of her mind. "One last push should end this!" 

"Alright, get over here!" 

They meet each other halfway in the center of the clearing, playing in time. The ball of light forms again, bright pink and swirls of red, crackling with energy. Tatiana offers her a wordless smile; Nadia, pressed up against her back, can't help but smile in return. The music peaks, and the ball swells to its full size. 

A cable reaches out of the ground, like a vine, and knocks them back. The energy disappates, their music quickly disappearing. 

"I won't let you do this!" Yinu cries, and the full extent of the mother's weaponry activates all at once. Tatiana tugs Nadia out of the way of a laser by the collar, ducking beneath a missile that flies aimlessly into the earthy wall behind them. "No! No! You won't - you can't win!" 

"We need to get her out of the cockpit," Tatiana yells over the cacophony of music and harsh noise, a mess of sound. 

"How? There's no way -" A stray bullet catches Nadia in the arm, and she's thankful that it's rubber, not a live round. She clenches her jaw and keeps playing, barely. Yinu doesn't let up. "There's no way we can get through this!" 

Tatiana hesitates a moment. "You keep playing. I'll make you a way through!" 

The glow from the day before returns to her, stronger this time, and her white skin becomes orange and black and molten and hot, like magma, her eyes glowing bright. Her hair turns to fire, licking her ears and the back of her neck as it falls around her face, mullet whipping violently in the wind. In her hands, her guitar sharpens, growing angular edges in the shape of a flame. The blood on her face turns to steam and is whisked away by the breeze. She's like something out of a movie. 

Tatiana swipes her hand through the air and a plume of fire follows it, incinerating everything in her path. Blades of grass blacken to ash near her feet. 

"Now, Nadia!" She shouts, fingers flying across her guitar with a loud, tortured wail, the fire on her head sparking, burning higher. Nadia, awestruck, fumbles for a moment before joining her, underwhelming beside this extreme show of force. 

The massive fireball that forms is a testament to Tatiana's power - a power she's kept hidden all this time. The guitarist strikes her final riff and it goes rocketing forward, striking machine and musician in a burst of light. Yinu's mother falls to her knee; Tatiana does the same, propping herself up with her guitar. 

"Tatiana!" As Nadia rushes over to her the fire starts to die down, her hair falling back around her face. Her skin pales, light fading. Her guitar rounds and returns to its usual shape. "What was that..?" 

"We can talk about it... once we get home." She breathes, slowly standing, still leaning on her instrument. Tatiana nods towards the machine and the girl now standing in front of it, her hair all messy and her goggles around her neck, a faint red imprint around her eyes. "We've got more important things to deal with right now." 

"Mama... you..." Yinu kneels down, her mechanical mother now laid out on the ground. She runs a hand along her cheek, distressed. "I'm sorry..." 

"Yinu, dear." Tatiana kneels down in front of her, voice soft, face cracked but gentle. Yinu looks up at her with big, wet eyes and a trembling lip, sniffling. Tatiana puts a hand on her shoulder. "Will your mother be okay?" 

"I - she -" The girl wipes her face against her arm, leaving oil smearing across her forehead. She sniffles, "I think so. I just... I need to fix her." 

"Do you have anyone to help you fix her?" 

"Papa used to... but," Yinu pauses. A fat tear rolls down her rosy cheek, lingering on the underside of her chin. Her shoulders shake as she reaches into her overall pocket for a wrench, idly running her fingers along the groove down the handle. "But he's not... here anymore. So now I fix her by myself." 

"I'm sorry. We never wanted to hurt her." Tatiana moves her hand and wipes the water from Yinu's face with her knuckle. Yinu glances up to her again, still wide eyed and fighting the inevitable frown that comes with tears. "Do you want us to help you? It seems like it'd be hard to do on your own." 

"I - it's okay. And I'm," She coughs, putting the wrench away to peel off her glove, rubbing her eye with the back of her fist. She pulls it back on with a rubbery smack, starting to calm down. "I'm sorry, too. I... I was being mean." 

"You were just doing what you were told." Tatiana pats her on the back with a soft smile. The cracks in her face move near the edges of her mouth, folding along skin. "Don't worry about it." 

"D - do you still need the disc?" She clears her throat again, running a hand through her hair, slowly fixing one of her buns. 

"If you're willing to give it. But if you want to keep it," Tatiana takes a deep breath, "We can find another way." 

Yinu turns and reaches for the glass heart again, pressing it and opening the door once more. She clambers inside, reaching underneath the seat in the cockpit, and pulls out a dusty vinyl sleeve. She climbs down and holds it out in both hands. 

"Here." She says. Tatiana takes the sleeve from her and observes it for a moment before handing it back to Nadia. "I don't really need it... but you seem like you do, so you can have it." 

"Thanks." Tatiana pats her on the head, ruffling her hair. Nadia tucks the sleeve beneath her arm and watches the whole scene, once again reminded of her own mother. It seems Tatiana's maternal instincts know no bounds. "Will you be alright here, by yourself?" 

"Mhm. I'll be okay." She nods, the redness beginning to recede from her face. "Mama should be back soon, anyway." 

"Alright then. You be careful, alright?" Yinu nods again. Tatiana ruffles her hair one last time before she stands, stretching. Bones crack up her back as she leans, hands on her hips. "You tell your mother we said sorry. We didn't mean to cause any trouble." 

"I will." She pulls her goggles back over her eyes, affixing them to her face. As they turn to leave she waves, excess of her glove smacking against her arm. "Bye!" 

"We'll be sure to bring this back!" Nadia calls. She turns to Tatiana to find that her smile has fallen, her eyes shut tight. She winces with every step she takes down the stairs, guitar rocking against her back. "What's wrong?" 

"Just... tired." She sighs. "Haven't done that in a long time." 

"And what was "that", exactly?" 

"Can it wait a little..?" Tatiana grimaces as they reach the backyard, her feet a little unsteady on solid ground. Nadia lets her lean against her, doing little to prop her up. Tatiana puts an arm over her shoulder for support. "I'll explain everything tomorrow. Promise." 

"...Alright." Nadia shoulders open the back door, leading Tatiana into the house. Their footsteps are heavy on laminated wood, the uneven thump of boots echoing again in the empty house. "How about we take the train back this time?" 

Tatiana nods, silent. Nadia swallows a lump in her throat and continues their tired procession onward, out towards the uppercity and the bridge back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> songs for this chapter are:  
> skuld by rabpit  
> parousia by xi  
> restriction by team grimoire


	6. Adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be honest, this chapter is the whole reason i wrote this haha. there's only a couple left now, so thank you all for sticking around! i can't say enough just how much the support means to me.  
> thank you all so much for reading :]!

"Explain it to me," Nadia says, dropping down onto the couch beside Tatiana. She eyes the cracks along her arms and the ones visible through the rips in her dark, tight jeans, her skin more like granite than anything else. She adds, "Everything about it. Why... why could you do what you did last night?" 

"Did I mention that I was around when the Goolings held control of the city?" Tatiana sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. Nadia nods, expectant, all her attention devoted to her words. Tatiana sighs again, stretching. A few bones pop, and her skin quietly scratches against itself, now hard as stone. "I was a performer back then. A rock star - and a popular one, too." 

She pulls her guitar up from the floor and rests it across her lap. She closes her eyes for a long moment and taps her fingers along the strings; the guitar is wreathed in flame and sharpens again into the shape it took yesterday. A pleasant warmth fills the space around it. 

"I haven't performed in a long time. I'm rusty, and my power's weak, but," Tatiana turns the instrument over in her grip, running her hand along the sharp angle of the body. Orange accents dance beneath her fingertips, glowing bright against black metal. She plucks a string and the very air seems to hum. "The guitar still has some of it. Enough for me to use it, at least." 

"I... suppose that makes sense." Nadia folds her arms, leaning back against the couch. She looks Tatiana over and tries to imagine the flaming sentinel of a woman she'd seen the night before, tries to imagine her standing up in front of a crowd instead of standing in a muddy field. "You must've been amazing up on stage." 

"Sure was. Lots of venue owners had some mixed feelings, though." She shrugs. Nadia raises a brow and Tatiana shoots her an amused smile, straightening and triumphantly folding her arms. She laughs, "We brought in good business, but they always forgot to fireproof." 

"I can imagine," Nadia chuckles. She thinks on it long enough and pauses, holding her chin between her thumb and finger. It takes another moment before everything soaks in and she asks, "You said it had been a while. Why did you stop?" 

"When the Goolings disbanded," Tatiana says, slowly. Her guitar grows cold in her hands and softens, heat dying, sharp edges fading away. She runs her hand along it again, as if to check that it's returned to the right shape. "Our band lost a lot of momentum, and we split up, too. I... couldn't bring myself to play much after that." 

"I understand. I had a... similar experience, back when I first started playing." She puts her hand on Tatiana's shoulder and feels cool stone beneath her palm. Her music is transformative and destructive - powerfully so - and suddenly Nadia feels out of her depth. She does her best to muster a reassuring tone, trying to uphold that soft smile, "I'm glad you were able to pick it back up again." 

"I couldn't just leave you out to dry like that. Besides, seeing you stand up to SRA like that," Tatiana wraps an arm around her and pulls her close. Now that Nadia's closer beside her she notices the warmth radiating off of the old guitarist, vestiges of power lingering beneath her skin. Tatiana ruffles her hair with a smile, "It reminded me of a lot of things I'd almost forgotten. Guess I have that to thank you for, too." 

"Don't mention it. I never would've gone anywhere with it if it wasn't for your help." Nadia can barely remember a time when Tatiana wasn't there to guide her, to help her in this effort against SRA. It seems so long ago that they met, and even longer still that there was ever a time where they hadn't been working together. She gently peels herself out from Tatiana's arm, "I think we can call it even." 

"Good to know." Tatiana pats her on the shoulder. She reaches into her pocket and waves her phone at Nadia, settling back into the couch a little more, "Onto the next one, then?" 

"Right." 

"Well... I'm afraid we don't have much to go on for this one." She turns her phone towards Nadia and shows only a blurry photo. There's an oversized holographic windbreaker and a smudge of blue and green, a smear of deep turquoise. The district around this cryptid is in clinical monochrome, distinct in its generic appearance. "This is all I could find on the next charter. Guy who goes by Adam, when he goes anywhere at all." 

"Adam..?" Nadia looks closer. The cool tones of his skin become more familiar the longer she looks at him, two orange eyes staring out at her through the blur. Her heart doesn't jump so much as crawl into her throat. "Why couldn't you find much on him?" 

"He's more than a bit reclusive. Even though he's been charter since SRA was established," Tatiana sighs, putting her phone away. The image stays burned into Nadia's mind like it's been branded there, white hot behind her eyes. Tatiana continues, oblivious of this act of extensive preservation, "He hasn't had a single performance. It's a wonder his district has any power at all." 

"So we don't know much about his music, either, then?" Nadia says, even though she knows all too well what his music is like. If he wants his privacy she'll leave it to him. It's the least she can do, even after all this time. 

"Nope. Still, no better way to find out than to go see him," Tatiana shrugs, planting her hands on her thighs and standing with a huff. She hoists her guitar from the floor once more and slings it across her back in one fluid motion. Nadia slowly takes her synth up from the ground. "We're going in blind, so be ready for anything. There's no doubt he's going to be stronger than the rest." 

Nadia twists a lock of hair around her finger until it's tight enough to pull on her scalp. "Right..." 

"Hey, you nervous about this one?" Tatiana asks. Nadia nods, silent. If she opened her mouth now the words would probably just come tumbling out. Tatiana smiles, pats her on the head. "Don't worry. There's nothing out there that we can't handle, right? We do our best and we'll be just fine." 

"...Of course." She injects some of her usual enthusiasm back into her voice, trying to hide her tics. Nadia waves Tatiana's hand away and straightens, forcing a smile, trying to fortify her mood. "He won't know what hit him." 

"That's the spirit. Now c'mon," Tatiana says, seeming satisfied with her performance. She walks past Nadia to the stairs, taking them down two at a time. Her every step on heavy boots echoes up the stairwell and into the hall, her voice rising up with it, "We've got a lot more bridge to cross!" 

Down in the plaza the screens show less of an advertisement and more of an image; Adam's logo - his name reflected across a horizontal in two colors, one blue and one green - is displayed on a blank white screen. Music plays softly around the Qwasa, heavily instrumented towards percussion. Nadia doubts that this is the kind of music he would use offensively. They definitely wrote more aggressive music than that. 

They stop at the edge of Natura and Tatiana takes the disc out of its sleeve, handing it off to Nadia so she can set it on the dock. Yinu's song conjures to mind their battle in the mud, the polar opposite of its tone. Tatiana takes out her guitar, glowing pale. Nadia plays the first long note, and the melody soon follows, sweeping through the air and shaking the dock. 

The ring slides into place, revealing the commercial district ahead. 

"And this is Metro Division. When Natura became what it is today, this district took up Vinyl City's other tourist aspects." Tatiana gestures to flashing neon lights and shops lining the streets. She was right; the whole place is a little too gaudy, dark colors easy but bright lights hard on the eyes. Surprisingly, this dissonance lets the two of them manage to fit right in. "If Akusuka is a culture center, then this district's the commercial. There's all kinds of ways SRA pushes their brand here." 

"Marketing is important as ever, huh." Nadia scans the road, blending right in with every other tourist there. They pass a small roller coaster setup, the district seeming to function as an amusement park as well. The whole affair is a little too loud, in volume and in presentation. "It doesn't really suit Yinu." 

"She probably doesn't get much control over her district. She's only so old, you know?" Tatiana shrugs. The end of the district comes into view, and the steep drop leads to a wide, empty expanse of white. Tatiana looks over the edge, planting her foot on the threshold and leaning out. "We're here." 

Somehow the abyss below is more foreboding when it's not as dark. Nadia lingers at the edge, and despite the brightness she still can't see the bottom. It feels less like light and more like a lack of color, devoid. Her feet stay rooted to the bridge. 

"You getting cold feet on me?" Tatiana jokes. Nadia snaps out of her thoughts and back to reality. 

"I'm fine." She smiles as she says it, and for a moment she tries to convince herself to believe it. She brings her heel to the very edge and lets her toes hang over, the wind rushing up to meet her. For the first time the feeling does not comfort her. She nods, "We should get going." 

Her feet meet solid earth in the undercity with a soft sound, the ground beneath her seemingly without imperfections. The entire district is white, buildings stately and clinically designed. Stairways are suspended from nothing. Lampposts blend into the environment, making the lights seem to float in the air. The whole place feels ethereal but lifeless, somehow, even though there are people around. 

"He's certianly a minimalist, isn't he?" Tatiana says, walking past Nadia and up the road. She points towards the large building at the end of the path, shaped like a triangle and just as devoid and sharp - edged as the rest of the district. The path thins into a small walkway, a bridge leading up to the pyramid ahead. "Big, important people are always in big, important buildings. Let's head on over." 

They go single file down the path and push open the doors without ceremony. Inside, another white expanse greets them. Down near the end of the long hall is a set of turquoise doors, the only color in this empty place. 

"He's inviting us right in." Nadia says as she observes the hall. Their footsteps echo. As they near the door the air shifts, and something appears ahead of them; pink and orange shimmer into view, a curtain of recycled bottles in the shape of a heart. "This is..." 

"Wonder what he's trying to do here," Tatiana takes a bottle in her hand and turns it over, inspecting it. Nadia looks to the floor and sees that a handful of them have fallen from their strings, cast to the ground. The heart has open patches and empty spaces scattered throughout. "Is this his idea of security?" 

"It's not doing much." Nadia says, in lieu of the many other words she wants to say. She gently pushes through the curtain and Tatiana follows suit. Nadia reaches out and rests her hand on the door and her stomach drops, the familiar feeling of his powers as nauseating as ever. She swallows the initial wave of discomfort. "I think... he's through here." 

"Something feels off about this one." Tatiana moves her hand back to rest on the neck of her guitar, on edge. Nadia leaves her synth at her side, not quite ready to face what's on the other side. Tatiana gives her a motherly look and warns, "Be careful."  
They open the door to a not so empty room; there's a marble statue standing motionless in the center of it. As the get closer, Nadia recognizes Mayday's face - her eyes are shut, her face serene. Her arms are extended, her palms towards the floor. The amount of detail in her expression and the folds of her clothes is astounding, unreal. Now Nadia's certain they've entered that mental space of his. 

"Adam? Hello?" She calls. Tatiana gives her a quizzical look but says nothing. Nadia takes a step forward, then another, her footsteps now completely silent. "Where are you?" 

"...Hey, Nadia." Adam's voice sounds softly from both nowhere and everywhere, all around them but in her head all the same. Nadia turns and doesn't see him. Tatiana reaches for her guitar once more. He takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry. Whatever you came here for, I - I'm sorry." 

"I can't see you, Adam. Where -" A strong wind suddenly tugs on the back of her jacket, the room quickly growing cold; he appears, kneeling beneath Mayday's stone hands. Nadia barely recognizes him. "Oh." 

Adam's hair is loosely tied back from his face, dark rings beneath his eyes. His chest is bare beneath a huge silver, holographic jacket, and the only thing he has on other than that is a pair of black sweatpants and a single black glove. His chin is tucked against his chest, his arms crossed at the wrists. A black cane hangs from one of his hands. 

"I... I didn't want you to see me." He ducks out from underneath her grasp, standing to his full, massive height. In the next instant he shrinks in on himself, hunching over. Adam continues, voice still a whisper, looking down to the floor. "I, uh... I heard what you did to the others. Are you here, to -?" 

"No, no we - we don't want to fight." Nadia says gently, putting her hand up in surrender. Tatiana lingers behind her, still silent, still watching. Nadia takes a deep breath herself and tries to collect her thoughts. "We just need to see Mayday." 

"She... she's right here." Adam steps aside, holding an arm out towards the statue. Her turns around to take hold of one of her hands, leaning forward to take a look at her. "Isn't she incredible? After... after everything, Nadia, she still..." 

"We need to see the real Mayday, Adam." Tatiana steps up from beside her, protectively putting herself between the two of them. At any other time, Nadia would welcome her motherly impulses; but now all they serve to do is make Adam wilt further beneath her gaze. "All we need is your disc. We don't want a fight." 

"You... what you did to the others..." He takes his cane in both hands, folds in his glove intensifying, his bare knuckles going pale. Nadia feels the very air crackle with energy. He turns back to the two of them and stares with wide eyes, like a deer in headlights. "Are you going to do that to me, too? To her?" 

"Tatiana, we can't approach him like this." Nadia hisses from behind her. 

"It's a little late to tell me. And you've got a lot to explain, yourself," Tatiana whispers back, looking back over her shoulder. She glances between Nadia and the tall man ahead of them, giving her a serious gaze. Nadia can't handle both of them at once. "How does he know your name? You seem to know a lot about him, too." 

"I won't let you." Adam finally says, voice firmer than before. He wrings his hands around his cane and his face hardens, grimly serious. His jacket rustles as he holds his cane out towards them, windbreaker material loudly crinkling. "You're not going to hurt her. I won't... you won't get past me." 

"We're fighting again," Tatiana sighs. She swings her guitar off her back and shoots a pointed glance towards Nadia, "We'll talk about this later." 

Nadia nods, swallows down as much of her anxiety as she can, and takes her synth up in her hands. 

Adam rises from the ground and leans back, green discs of light appearing around him - his drums, pulsing with the rhythm. The steady beat of a snare carries calm synths, a unique mix of percussion acting as the melody. His cane floats alongside him as he drifts towards the middle of the room, Mayday's statue sinking into the floor. Nadia remembers this song all too well. 

"Let's do this." Nadia turns to Tatiana. The guitarist nods, playing slow and light, following along with the backing synthesizer. Her playing gives the music a new depth, a new body. Adam glances up at them for a moment before closing his eyes. 

A marble hand reaches out of the wall and across the room, lazily opening its fingers and trying to close them around Tatiana. It moves slowly, as if through water. Tatiana steps aside and continues to play, purposefully not dominating the stage. She looks to Nadia as she avoids another slow grasp, nodding once more. 

Nadia plays the bassline to the melody, the one part the music is missing, and her and Tatiana immediately gain more control over the piece. The hand moves even slower, cracks appearing along its surface. As their sound rises and slowly overcomes Adam's it begins to crumble, shedding dust. In the next instant Adam's eyes open, and the hand recedes. 

"Did that do it..?" Tatiana meets Nadia at the center of the room. Just as she asks Adam abruptly pulls back, disappearing beyond the wall and the room suddenly extends into a long hall. His sound disappears completely, leaving only theirs behind. "What's our call?" 

"He's leading us deeper into his... mindspace, if you can call it that." Nadia starts the trek to the back of the room, where the plain white wall has now been replaced with glass. Tatiana follows not far behind, the both of them still playing along to a song that's no longer there. "The deeper he goes, the stronger he is. But he can't run forever." 

"So, we press the attack until we've got him cornered." Nadia nods. Tatiana hefts her guitar in her hands like a bat and swings, the glass cracking further with every hit. The wall bursts into a million pieces, scattering through the air and staying there. A murky green barrier stands before them. Tatiana grins but it doesn't reach her eyes, "Sounds just my style." 

Adam once again floats at the back of the room, though this one is more hectic; color is beginning to seep into the once blank walls, pale blue and green and grey mixed in messy splotches. More hands appear, sapphire and jade instead of marble, speckled with thin veins of gold. They move faster, slamming the ground below. Nadia lunges to the side to avoid a plummeting fist, the rhythm suddenly different. Their music weakens. 

"What happened... at Rupturika, Nadia?" Adam whispers, but his voice is loud enough to be heard above the sound all around them. "What did I do..?" 

"Nothing! It was an accident!" Nadia calls, shouldering Tatiana out of the way of a blue, crystalline hand. The thud of pummeling fists is all around them, but it gives a steady, strange tempo. The hum of Tatiana's guitar swells as she gets a handle on the rhythm. "It was my fault, Adam. You didn't do anything wrong then!" 

"Then why would you have..." He trails off, clutching his arms against him, hugging himself in the center of his drums. Nadia again plays the forgotten melody, slowly matching his, the music meshing and steadily meeting a balance. "No. No, you never... it was all me, wasn't it..?" 

"What did you do to him?" Tatiana yells from across the room. One of her chords wails before she gets it back under control, matching the softer sound. 

Nadia sheepishly replies, "I... might have set him on fire." 

"You set him on fire?!" Tatiana, distracted, gets clipped by one of the falling hands. She quickly manages to get back to her feet and moves out of the way of another one, her end of their song faltering a moment. 

"Later, okay? Later." Nadia shakes her head, embarassed by the thought of it. Still, the hands begin to crumble once more, and the ground shakes and a shower of powdered gems rains down from the walls, collapsing. Chunks of stone palms and fingers thunder to the floor, a much more dramatic collapse than before. 

Again, Adam suddenly withdraws. They're left alone with their music once more. 

"How do you accidentally set someone on fire?" Tatiana asks, breathing heavy. There's a nasty bruise beginning to form on her shoulder, spreading out onto her chest and her arm. "I don't think I've even done that before." 

"Our performances were pretty avant garde, okay? I made one mistake, and, well." She deflates, walking slower to the next piece of glass. She wedges the corner of her synth into it and smashes it once, twice, until it finally falls apart with less fanfare than the last one. "Then we ended up like this." 

Tatiana looks at her with soft eyes. She sets a hand on her shoulder. "You can talk with him once this is all over." 

Nadia nods, and they step through the next barrier together. 

"I - I... how can you two..?" Adam shakes his head violently, dreads whipping around his face. He looks up at them and his orange eyes are angry but scared, and Nadia's heart wrenches in her chest. He throws his cane aside and it's swallowed by the ground. "You're not going any further! This... this is the last line!" 

Adam whips off his jacket to reveal four more arms, six in total. They spread around him as he rises into the air again, more discs of light appearing around him. The rhythm that begins now is complex, explosive but subtle, sweeping but clipped and short. The culmination of opposites, a marriage of contrast. Similarly, the walls around them are now in vibrant, eye searing color, dozens of multicolored hands reaching out of every surface. 

"This is as deep as he can go!" Nadia yells. A hand reaches out and she slips between it's fingers; the back wall opens up to reveal two lidded eyes, one blue and one green, and a laser lands just in front of Nadia's feet. She struggles to get a hold on the beat. "Once we beat him here, there'll be nowhere left for him to run!" 

"Then let's finish this!" Tatiana calls back, sliding on her knees beneath a fist swinging into the wall. Her guitar crescendoes violently, the sound more typical to her usual playing. Nadia swears she can see round edges sharpen into pointed corners, orange accents shifting like flame along her instrument. 

Nadia plays like she's never played before. When one part of the melody calls she answers, when the drums rise up she meets them. She lets the music direct her and follows its lead, feeling it eb through her, feeling it hum in her very bones. The sound is in her down to her fingertips, more powerful than anything she's ever written. 

She looks up and locks eyes with Adam from across the hall; she brushes along the connection they once had and doesn't reach for it but doesn't throw it away, finally laying it to rest. A hand reaches down to grab her and crumbles before it gets close. Again dust cascades. The colors swim along the walls. 

Adam drops to the ground and onto his knees, collapsing in a pile of limbs. The hands collapse around them and the music fades away. Nadia lets her synth rest in her hands. Tatiana's guitar returns to its original shape. 

"I can't... I..." He mumbles, six hands resting in his lap. The wall opens up behind him and a blinding green light shines out, and his gemstone hands reach out to cradle him, slowly drawing him back. His voice grows faint as they withdraw, "I never could..." 

Nadia looks up to Tatiana. "I should go talk to him." 

Tatiana puts a hand on her shoulder and nods. Her smile is comforting. She nods her head towards the open expanse of light, "Go ahead." 

Nadia steps through and is met with a harsh landscape, a series of jagged cliffs and aggressive rock faces. Everything is two tone green and blue, and the abyss below is black and endless. Nadia jumps from one platform to the next and the gap between each of them widens, the pit becoming and ever greater threat. Far away she sees Adam sitting on the ground, his knees pulled against his chest, six arms pulled around him. 

"I'm sorry," He whispers. Sharp spines of rock start to curl around him, obscuring him. Nadia moves to the next platform and the rock grows harsher, spikes beneath her feet. "I didn't want t - to..." 

"Adam!" 

She finally reaches his stone cage and starts peeling back the spikes; her hands are sore and her arms are aching. She reveals him slowly, green and blue skin and black pants. He looks up at her with wide eyes, shivering, two hands falling from his face, the other four arms wrapped around his legs. 

"I... I'm," He manages. His eyes are swollen, his face flushed, his mouth curved in a scowl and his lip quivering. Adam coughs and the floodgates open, his entire body shaking as he buries his face in his arms, "I'm scared! I'm - there's nobody out there like me, there never will be, I - I'm alone, I -!" 

"You don't have to be." Nadia reaches her hand out. He lifts his head again, slowly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Adam, you don't need to be alone anymore." 

Slowly, nearly silent, Adam reaches up and takes her hand in his. 

The violent landscape disappears until the empty white room is all that's left around them. Nadia kneels down, Adam still curled up on the floor and holding her hand. He does everything he can to avoid her gaze. Nadia can feel Tatiana's own eyes on the back of her head, and is all too thankful that she hasn't intervened yet. 

"Adam - no," She holds his hand tighter, letting him know she's still here. He sniffles, finally meeting her gaze again. She reaches out and puts a hand on his arm, trying her best to reassure him. "Zuke. You... you've been alone for a while. And I know that it can be hard to rely on other people." 

Zuke closes his eyes, breathing slowly steadying, shaking slowly subsiding. He runs a hand through his hair and shudders, letting out a deep breath. 

"I'm sorry you felt like you needed to hide." Nadia says, and Zuke opens his eyes and he doesn't pull away. She moves her hand to his shoulder, gently patting him. "Would you... would you come with us? I don't want to leave you here, but it's your choice." 

"...Sure." 

Tatiana steps up beside her, a fistful of holographic windbreaker in her hand. "I'm sure you'll be needing this." 

Zuke stands slowly, towering over Nadia and standing only a little higher than Tatiana. He nods, shrugging his jacket on and tucking his six arms away once more. "...Thanks." 

"Well. Shall we get going?" Tatiana looks between the two of them, taking charge once more; Nadia is happy to hand the reigns over. She nods. Tatiana takes both her hand and Zuke's and leads them both out of the hall and into the undercity. "Guess I'm babysitting again, huh?" 

"Sorry..." Zuke mumbles. 

"No worries." She smiles, softly. Her voice is gentle and warm. She laughs, "Nadia'll tell you, I like acting the mother." 

"Don't worry about it, Zuke." Nadia puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder, shaking him a little. He looks down at her and softens a little, nerves loosening. "It's alright, okay?" 

The sun has long since set. Time must pass differently in the world Zuke can create; what felt like an hour must've been more than a few in reality. A light pollution is relatively low in Zuke's district, and the stars shine through the clouds high above them. The cool night air is relaxing, blowing in her hair. Zuke's jacket rustles. 

"Um. Nadia?" Zuke asks, quiet. She waits. He looks around for a moment before finally managing, "...Thanks." 

"Right." She smiles, something long coiled in her chest loosening a little bit. "Don't mention it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> music inspo for this chapter is:  
> secret;weapon by noma w/ apo11o program, ft. yukacco  
> elysium by sprights  
> resurrection by kiryu


	7. Mayday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a big one! with this, the next one will wrap the whole thing up, so i"d like to thank you all for reading so far! i hope you enjoyed it. :]

They slowly carry their tired, bruised little procession across the bridge and down backroads and alleys, finally making it to Nadia's apartment just a little bit before dawn. The three of them somehow manage to stumble up the stairs before they separate, if only so Nadia can fish out her keys. Zuke sleeps on the couch, leaning limp against a similarly exhausted Tatiana; Nadia throws a blanket over him and tucks into her own bed, falling asleep faster than she has all week. 

She wakes up to find Tatiana and Zuke still fast asleep, Zuke huddled up near one end of the couch while Tatiana sleeps still sitting up. Nadia shuffles past the couch and quietly sets herself down at the small circle table not far behind it, yawning. The sun has long since come up and light is gently filtering in through the window, revealing the dust in the air. The apartment is quiet.  
Nadia thinks for a moment, slowly warmed by the morning sun. She pulls out her phone and scrolls to the bottom of her contacts. 

"Nadia?" 

"Hey, West." She rubs her eye against the butt of her hand, stifling another yawn. She sandwiches her phone between her cheek and her shoulder, playing with her hands on the tabletop. "Sorry, I know it's early." 

"No, it's okay. I've been up for a while," He says, but he sounds just as tired as she feels. West pauses. A fat, swollen white cloud drifts in front of the sun outside and casts a shadow over the apartment. "You need something?" 

"I just wanted to know if you were busy today. We, er," She glances over towards the couch, Zuke's long hair cascading over the arm and down onto the floor. The couch creaks as he shifts in his sleep, turning his head. His braids respond in kind, falling over each other. "I think we need to talk. It's important, you know?" 

"Right, yes, of course." He takes a deep breath on the other end of the line. "See you at the plaza?" 

"Yeah. Same place as last time." Nadia takes his silence as agreement and frees her phone from perch, taking it in her hand. She rubs her face again and manages a smile. The cloud passes. Light fills the apartment once more. "Thanks, West. See you." 

Nadia stands and stretches, feeling a little more awake than before. She snuffles back to her bed and slowly gets dressed, taking her time for once. It's a small comfort that she now finds herself having missed; maybe she'll take her time with things more often after all this is over. 

She turns to see Tatiana leaning back in a stretch, arms raised high above her head. Tatiana sighs, the couch groaning as she stands. She looks over to Zuke, checks if he's still asleep, and then quietly makes her way over to Nadia's bed. Nadia shrugs her jacket on as she approaches. 

"Been up long?" Tatiana asks, mussing Nadia's hair. 

"Not really. You sleep well?" Tatiana nods, yawning. As usual, it proves contagious. Nadia covers her mouth for a moment and sighs, rethinking being awake at such an appropriate time. She manages to keep her eyes open nonetheless. "Today's the day, huh?" 

"About time we ended this." She sighs, rolling her shoulders. Tatiana reaches into her pocket and pulls her necklace on, key rattling on its chain. Cracks roll along her skin like plates on the earth, an infinitely slow motion sped up a hundred times. She turns to Nadia. "Are you nervous?" 

"Should I not be?" 

"I'd be worried if you weren't. It's," Tatiana laughs, softly. Her voice quickly turns more serious, her face following suit. "Not going to be easy." 

"Well, I'd be worried if it was." Nadia says. Tatiana softens a little, but she can still see the tension in her shoulders, the look in her eyes and the grim way she sets her jaw. Nadia reaches up and puts a hand on her shoulder. "But like you said, easy's no fun. We just need to be ready for it." 

"Right. Still, we don't know much about Mayday, either." Tatiana sighs. She pulls out her phone and shows a publicity photo from a magazine, Mayday's face drawn up in firm lines. She looks as blank and serious as the day of the audition. "All we know is that she doesn't play music. Despite that, we shouldn't take her lightly." 

"But if she doesn't play anything..." Nadia pauses, thinking. Her gaze wanders to Zuke for a moment, curled up on the couch - he would know more about her than anyone else. Her thoughts quickly return back to their original path. "How will she fight us? How is she even head of SRA?" 

"She's probably got something up her sleeve. I can't imagine what, though." Tatiana shrugs, putting her phone away. She turns towards the door, her guitar abandoned there, and says in a hushed tone, "Guess we'll find out once we get there." 

"We have to take a little detour first." Tatiana raises a brow. Nadia gestures towards Zuke, "I called West. He's going to meet up with us down the street." 

"...Alright, then." With a deep breath, she takes her guitar across her back once more. Nadia scans the ground for her synth and stands it up against the side of the couch, leaving it for when they're ready to leave. Tatiana nods towards the sleeping man, and Nadia nods back. She pats him on the arm. He stirs. 

"Hey, Zuke. Sorry to wake you." Zuke blinks a few times and scrunches his eyes shut before finally opening them, looking a little less tired than the night before. He mumbles a reply and stretches, arms behind his head. He sits up and yawns, blanket pooling in his lap. "I wanted to take you somewhere before me and Tatiana go to the tower." 

"O - okay." He stands with a grunt. Nadia looks him over for a moment and realizes he's taller than West now, even though they'd been close to the same height before. He pulls his jacket around himself a little tighter. "Are we going now?" 

"We don't have to if you don't want to." 

"No, it... it's fine." He looks around the apartment and his eyes land on Tatiana, standing ready near the door. Nadia steps aside to let him in front of her, scooping her synth off the floor as she follows close behind. Zuke catiously pulls his hood over his head. "Um. Nobody should notice me around here." 

"Don't worry." Nadia pats his arm, and he softens a little. His hair pours out of his hood, over his shoulders, and down his bare chest, long enough to nearly reach his elbows. "We won't be going very far." 

They make their way down the stairs and out onto the street without difficulty. Despite how much he stands out, Zuke seems to blend in somehow. Like he said, nobody recognizes him - he doesn't even get a second glance from any of the few passerby. His jacket reflects the sun in every shade of color. His bare feet smack against the pavement. 

"There you are Nadia! Now, what did you -" West falls silent. Zuke, similarly shocked, starts to sink in on himself a little. West steps forward slowly, reaching out for his arm, hovering. He manages, quietly, "Zuke?" 

"West, I -" Zuke starts. 

West throws his arms around him before he can finish, clutching him against him. Zuke collapses, slowly, doubling over to return the embrace. Four more arms snake out of his jacket and wind around West's shoulders, his own shoulders shaking. His jacket crinkles beneath West's arms. Zuke knits his hands together and breathes in deep, unsteady intervals. West holds him and doesn't let go. 

West finally breaks the silence. "I was worried about you." 

"I'm sorry," Zuke lets his accent slip, and Nadia realizes she's only heard his normal voice a handful of times. He pauses yo tske another shaky breath, shoulders rising and falling. "I - I didn't mean to just... I was..." 

"It's okay, it's okay. You're safe," West murmurs. Zuke leans into him a little more, sniffling. Nadia watches it all unfold with a soft smile, glad to see them together again, glad to see them well. West looks over to the two of them. "Thanks, Nadia. You too, Miss." 

"Don't mention it." Tatiana says, standing awkwardly at the edge of this moment. Nadia elbows her in the side, nodding towards the road. Tatiana takes a second to understand and scrambles for the words, "We'll leave you two to catch up." 

"Call me if you need anything." Nadia offers. West nods. She turns to Tatiana and tugs on her arm, leading her back to the street and down to the plaza. 

The screens in the plaza are blank. They walk down the bridge and every district seems weighed down by this emptiness, as if everyone is just going through the motions. It feels like there are eyes on them as they pass straight through each ring, finally making it to the end of Metro Division. They stare out at the white expanse, and the white expanse stares back. 

The disc feels heavier than before in her hands; she slips it onto the dock and sets the needle. Zuke's music plays softly, almost nervously. Nadia and Tatiana don't play to overpower it but to strengthen it, giving it body and expanding on the shape it establishes. The dock rattles and the ring spins and the white expanse is finally covered up. 

"This is Dream Fever. It... doesn't seem a very lively place." Tatiana says. The entire district is shades of white and grey and black, everything of a stately minimalist design. It's awfully similar to Zuke's outermost hall, and the few people that are there are quiet, calmly wandering. "I suppose Zuke kept his own mind, er, in mind." 

"We could always give him a few pointers." Nadia shrugs. Beyond the district a long, dark bridge extends out across the sea, and at the end of it SRA tower looms high overhead, a red beacon shining at the top of its lighthouse. "This is the last bridge, isn't it." 

Tatiana nods. "The furthest part of the city." 

The two of them make a solemn procession towards the tower. Dark, foam crested waves crash against the rocks below. Ships lazily pass in the distance, guided by the tower's red light. They stop in front of SRA's tall, imposing doors and pause. Nadia mentally takes stock of the path they've taken to get here. 

"Ready?" Tatiana asks. Nadia nods. Together, they push open the doors and step inside. 

The building is empty; reception is unattended, and the waiting room in deserted. The two of them scan the lobby for only a moment before heading down the center aisle and into the elevator, rising high above the city. Miles and miles of black sea extends below them, violently churning. The height makes Nadia a little nauseous. 

"This is it." Tatiana says, as the elevator chime rings and the door swings open. She steps ahead, determination etched into her every feature. "Let's go." 

Mayday is standing atop a small platform floating above the rest of the room, her back turned to them. A long plait of thick, blonde hair hangs down over her back. Nadia steps into the room and feels machinery humming beneath her feet - she looks down and sees a giant clock turning beneath the glass floor, ticking down every second. Giant glass murals depicting each charter, including Mayday herself, span the height of the room. 

"I've been waiting for you two." She deadpans, turning over her shoulder to look at them. Her hollow eyes seem to pierce Nadia and stare right through her. "You come to me after everything you've done. The destruction, was it worth it?" 

"We're here to fix this. The city is floundering," Tatiana calls, her hand wandering to the neck of her guitar. Mayday's eyes narrow, scrutinizing her. She stands strong under her gaze, expression firming. "And if something doesn't change soon, we'll be completely without power." 

"I'd like to see you run this city!" Mayday's sudden outburst seems to startle even herself. She clears her throat and straightens, folding her hands behind her back, slowly pacing back and forth on the platform, like an animal caged. "I have brought order. I have brought stability. Most of all, I've brought this city higher than it ever was beneath the Goolings." 

"Words that mean nothing with the current state of affairs." Tatiana scoffs. 

"I'll put an end to this. You -" Mayday pauses, resting a fist on her chest and closing her eyes. Suddenly, she swipes her hand through the air, and music, heavy and imposing, begins to play. "You won't terrorize this city and longer!" 

"Guess there's no helping it." Tatiana pulls her guitar off her back and slings it into her hands, turning to Nadia. She plays a long, tortured note, the cracks in her skin already starting to glow, power crackling to the surface. "Let's do this! 

"Right!" 

Mayday pelts them with slabs of nearly molten rock from her elevated position. She waves her hand and they fly to her; she directs them towards the ground below and they obey. Nadia ducks beneath one and immediately switches directions to avoid another, fumbling with the keys when one grazes her arm. Tatiana follows close behind her, shouldering the brunt of her attacks. 

"See the crown, along the edge of the floor?" She points her guitar in its direction. The small golden thing slowly revolves around the room, sparkling in the dim light, glowing with energy. Nadia nods. Tatiana moves past her and towards it, calling, "We focus on it and she'll have to come down!" 

The crown loudly protests Tatiana's every blow, rocketing forward on its track with the force of her swings. Nadia keeps up their music as best she can, trying to cover the hole Tatiana's left behind. Eventually a loud crack echoes through the room, and the crown stops. 

"If you want to fight me so badly, then fine!" Mayday raises a fist and brings it back down, and the thick hand of a clock lands beside her. She takes it up in her hand like a sword and leaps down off the platform, landing in the center of the floor, glass cracking beneath her feet. "Let's go." 

Her music intensifies as she glides across the floor, sword held aloft. She moves faster than Nadia can blink and slashes, wide, knocking her aside. Mayday raises her sword to bring it crashing down on her; Nadia barely manages to roll back onto her feet before the blade slams into the ground. Their music weakens in the face of her power. 

Tatiana quickly covers the distance between them and drives her guitar into Mayday's back. Mayday freezes long enough for Tatiana to adjust her grip and swing the body of her instrument into Mayday's side, brute strength forcing her to the ground. Nadia scrambles away, putting a healthy amount of space between them. 

Mayday wipes her mouth on the back of her hand and leaps into the air, returning to her platform. Another wave of rock crashes down on them. 

"We must've weakened her! Keep it up!" Tatiana calls. She swings her guitar like a bat and breaks through the incoming projectiles. Nadia moves to take care of the crown, bolstered by her encouragement. 

As she slams her synth into it, the crown begins to crack further and further. Mayday's music wavers, the crown the source of its power - again she raises her fist, and a second clock hand comes rocketing down beside the first. She takes them in hand and swipes them through the air in front of her; the glass murals behind her shatter. 

She lands heavier on the ground this time, swinging with both of her white hot weapons. Tatiana catches one of the clock hands against the neck of her guitar and shoves it off, throwing Mayday off her rhythm. She manages to get one good hit in before Mayday leaps to the edge of the room, holding one of her blades high. 

A massive ball of fire appears before her. Nadia barely manages to roll out of the way and watches as it collides with Tatiana, sending her skidding across the floor. More fireballs appear, traveling in waves, all at different speeds. Tatiana takes hit after hit and keeps pushing forward, making her way through the wave of fire. Nadia does all she can, and keeps playing. 

Mayday cries out, fire disappearing. She casts aside her swords and returns to the platform only to cross her arms over her chest, her music quickly building beyond its previously strongest point. In an instant, she bursts into flame - her hair is freed from its braid, rising around her. She burns pure white and red, unlike Tatiana's magma - like form. 

"What's happening?" Nadia shouts. Mayday summons her swords to her side once more and comes crashing to the ground, the floor breaking beneath her, a spiderweb of cracks spreading to its very edges. 

Tatiana ignores her. She shakes her head, saying to no one but herself, "Two can play at that game." 

Tatiana blackens into molten rock, lava crawling along the cracks and creases in her skin. Her hair becomes a rigid, crystalline formation of ruby, her eyes glowing bright. The guitar sharpens into jagged orange edges and its sound changes, every chord carrying more weight, every note stronger. Her and Mayday meet at the center of the floor and clash. 

Sparks fly with every blow that connects. Every hit that Mayday lands seems to do nothing, glancing off of Tatiana and she presses her advantage further and further. Where Mayday has nothing but force, Tatiana has experience, skill; these opposing powers are nowhere near equal. 

"Who do you think you are," Mayday growls as her swords meet Tatiana's guitar, metal hissing against metal. She bares her teeth and yells, furious, "Who do you think you are, using her -!" 

"I could ask you the same thing!" Tatiana laughs. "Though you don't wear it nearly as well." 

She forces Mayday off and pushes her back, leaving her standing in front of the crown, breathing heavy, staggering upright. Tatiana clutches the key around her neck and closes her eyes, burning brighter than before. Nadia watches as a star and a meteor collide before her, meeting in a burst of heat only to separate again. Every time they clash Mayday grows more tired, and Tatiana more confident. 

"Now, Nadia!" Tatiana calls, raising her guitar above her head. Fire licks her heels, rising over leather and up her arms until it dances along every string. "It's time we finally finished this!" 

Nadia nods, adrenaline rushing, blood pumping. Her fingers fly across the keys. "Let's do it!" 

Their music forms together, a giant fireball crackling with pink and red energy. Mayday staggers back, her fire flickering, dimming. It peels off her body and disappears into thin air, finally revealing her again, brusied and listing to one side. The ball lands smack in the middle of her chest and throws her back against the crown, knocking the wind out of her. 

A loud crack echoes through the room. 

The crown bursts open with a flash, the explosion sending Mayday flying across the room and tumbling onto the floor. From the broken, flickering husk, a pink guitar slowly rises; there's a childish looking face painted near the bottom of it, two huge eyes and a mouth filled with spiked teeth. It bobs in the air, out of place in the dark interior of SRA tower. 

"This guitar was powering the crown this whole time..?" Tatiana reaches up towards it, large hand hovering in front of the instrument. Nadia barely notices Mayday scrambling to her feet before the girl's throwing herself at the crown, wedging herself between Tatiana and the guitar. 

"D - don't touch that! Don't..." She looks distraught, posture hunched and drawn tight, arms splayed out behind her. Her hair is a mess, braid falling apart. Her lip quivers, the rest of her shaking along with it, her voice small as she begs, "Please, don't. It - it's mine." 

"May!" A voice echoes off the open room, footsteps clicking on the tile. All three of them turn their attention to the small, bookish looking man storming into the room. He pushes up his glasses, furious as he makes a beeline for Mayday, "What's the meaning of this?" 

"Ugh," Tatiana rolls her eyes with a groan, shifting her weight and putting her hands on her hips. "Kliff." 

"Kliff, I -" Mayday starts. The man, ignoring everyone but her, cuts her off. 

"You said it broke! You said you'd never play again without it!" He sneers, pointing an accusatory finger at Mayday. She flinches away from him. Beside Nadia, Tatiana scowls. "You could've been playing this whole time, and you -!" 

"I - I really couldn't! Not after..." Suddenly Mayday seems very, very small. She fiddles with her hands, looking at the floor, voice strained. Her brows pinch together as she whispers, "Not after what I did. I can't." 

"Who cares about any of that? This isn't about you! It's about your fans," Kliff gestures out over Vinyl City, visible through the remains of the shattered windows. Mayday winces as he raises his voice, like a child being reprimanded by a cruel parent. "It's about order! Isn't that what you set out to uphold? Isn't that why you're here?!" 

"I - I know, but -" Mayday sounds like she's going to cry. She picks at a cut on her hand, thumbing open the bleeding skin, biting her lip. Nadia can't stand to watch this uncomfortable display much longer; though it does make clear who's really pulling the strings. 

"No buts! What do you think'll happen," Kliff says, jabbing a finger against her chest. Mayday looks like a deer in headlights, eyes wide and rimmed with tears, face a mix of fear, shock, and despair. Yet Kliff keeps pushing, driving her back step by step, "If we don't do everything it takes to keep this city afloat?!" 

"That's enough!" Tatiana bellows, and both Mayday and her verbal attacker freeze. She storms across the floor and puts her massive frame between Mayday and the Kliff, towering over the both of them. "What are you doing here, Kliff?" 

"I wouldn't expect you to have known. But," He scoffs, a small, sly grin on his face. Nadia's known him for all of a few minutes and already doesn't like him. He continues, still snide, "I've been Mayday's manager for five years, now. I'm the reason she's at the top at all, the reason this city isn't rubble!" 

"So you've been hiding behind her for half a decade. How old is she, twenty?" She plants her hands on her hips, aiming a sneer down at him. Fire still moves beneath her skin, her body still magma. Nadia swears she can see her hair flare up, licking the back of her neck. "Why... how could you do something like this? It's low, even for you." 

"You don't know how bad you treated me, Fyra. After you abandoned the city - abandoned me," He says, and as he talks Mayday's face falls, eyes wide, mouth agape. She stares on from behind Tatiana, shocked into silence. "Do you have any idea how I felt? I adored you, supported you through thick and thin... and you threw it all away." 

"Admiration isn't something you owe," She takes a heavy step forward, and he flinches back. She leans down over him and brings her face closer to his, scowl growing deeper, brows furrowing further and further. "It's something you earn. And you have yet to earn mine in the same way I've earned yours." 

"You -!" 

"...You're, Kul Fyra?" Mayday sets a hand on Tatiana's wrist and pulls back the moment she turns around. Her expression is conflicted, torn between anger and sadness and something that's not quite either of them. Nadia can't place the emotion in her voice. "You - when you left, the Qwasa... it was so dark. We didn't have any power, and - and there was nothing we could do." 

"But you did do something. And it was Kliff who asked you to do it," Tatiana says, gently. Nadia recognizes this tone of voice; Yinu recieved the same softness, the same quiet, careful approach. "Wasn't it?" 

"He said that - that I could do it. That I could bring order to the city." Her expression stiffens. Tatiana rests a heavy hand on her shoulder and Mayday moves her own hand back to her wrist. The firm line of her mouth weakens. She sniffles, "You abandoned us. There wasn't anything else I could do." 

Tatiana takes a deep breath and slowly lets it back out.  
"It doesn't matter who i disappointed. It was my choice to make. Still, I had a responsibility - not as an artist, but as a leader. By disappearing..." She says, slowly. Mayday takes it all in with wide, wet eyes and a wavering face. Tatiana pauses, deep in thought. She takes a moment to consider before she continues. "By avoiding that responsibility, I... I hurt people. People all over this city. People like you. I can't apologize enough for the damage I caused." 

Mayday's face scrunches up, tears welling at the rims of her eyes. "F - Fyra... you..." 

"No child should be saddled with such a responsibility." Tatiana shakes her head. Behind her Kliff is slowly growing more and more visibly furious, brows furrowing behind his thick lenses. Both Mayday and Tatiana are oblivious of the fact. "I'm sorry you felt like you needed to step up to it. And I'm sorry you had no other options left." 

Mayday melts against Tatiana, throwing her arms around her, bawling. Her hands drag tight creases into the back of Tatiana's shirt, black fabric folding around her fingers; her guitar is no obstacle. Tatiana takes her in her arms and holds her just a tightly in return, running a hand through her hair, holding her close. 

Behind her, Kliff slips a tablet out of his jacket. 

An alarm blares, the computer's automated voice warning personnel to evacuate. Red lights flash throughout the room, on and off. Kliff tucks his tablet back away while Mayday peels herself off of Tatiana, alarmed, looking around the room in a panic. Tatiana turns on Kliff in an instant. 

"What did you do?!" Tatiana scowls, grabbing Kliff by the collar. He smiles, shrugging nonchalantly as the warning still blares. Mayday hurries across the floor to a console near the broken window, tapping away on the keys. "Kliff, I swear..!" 

"If I can't have this city, she can't have it either." He says, both voice and face sly. 

Nadia quickly joins Mayday at the console. Charts and numbers are pulled up and moved aside, the whole thing indecipherable to her. She turns to the shorter girl, "What's going on?" 

"He -" Mayday pauses, striken with grief. She presses one last key and a countdown appears, slowly ticking away the seconds. "He's bringing the satellite down on the tower." 

"See?" Kliff laughs, "This is what happens when you -" 

Tatiana punches him before he can finish, unceremoniously dropping him to the floor with a loud thump. Kliff's glasses fall off his face with the impact, cracked - she crushes them under her boot. Turning on her heel, her face softens as she stands beside Mayday, setting a hand on her shoulder. 

"How do we stop it?" She asks. 

Mayday pauses. She turns away from the computer and steels herself, wiping her eyes. A firm determination enters her face, making her empty eyes seem a little less so. 

"If you can bring all the charters back to their districts," She says, taking on the confident posture she had before. She folds her hands in front of her and looks between the two of them, continuing. "We'll have enough power to destroy it before it hits. C'mon, I've got a plan." 

Mayday leads them into the center of the room, and the center of the clock begins to rise, carrying them up above the room and towards the lighthouse. Glass crunches beneath their feet, the windows' remains spread all over the floor. 

"You won't be able to stop it in time!" Kliff calls from the ground below, clutching his face. "I'll make sure of it!" 

"Try anything," Tatiana yells back, far, far louder. He winces at just the sound of her voice even though he's far out of her reach. She points down at him as he disappears from view, "And I'll break more than just your nose, you pathetic bastard!" 

"So, what's your plan?" Nadia asks. Mayday smiles a little before putting two fingers to her mouth, letting out a long whistle. In an instant the loud hum of an engine fills the air; a helicopter fashioned from scrap metal with two letter spraypainted on the side - a Z and an M - rises up into view. Nadia turns to her. "You two built this?" 

"Don't worry, it'll get you there in one piece." She chuckles. Nadia slowly notices that the pilot is not a human, but an alligator. The reptile in question gives her a little wave from the cockpit. Tatiana walks ahead of her and climbs inside, so Nadia follows. Mayday calls over the roar of the propellers, "When you're done, meet me at the Qwasa! And - and good luck!" 

Tatiana yells back, "See you there!" 

The helicopter screams through the sky, deftly avoiding falling debris. The satellite slowly grows closer on the horizon, the sunrise growing redder. Suddenly, the alligator quickly sets them down in Dream Fever, just in front of Zuke's hall in the undercity. 

"You remember his song." Tatiana says with a soft smile. Nadia nods. Tatiana swings her guitar off her back, sharp edges fitting comfortably in her dark, rocky, hands, fire dancing along her once more. "We charge the disc with music and give it right back." 

It doesn't take long for their music to build. Nadia takes the disc out and holds it up, throwing it as hard as she can towards the charter building. A giant, green hand reaches up to catch it between two fingers. 

Zuke, attached to the hand, rises up, standing massive over the hall. He gives Nadia a gentle look as he settles into the air, calmly crossing his legs and folding his arms, windbreaker crinkling. His jacket shines a million colors in the vibrant light of the early morning sun. 

"Thanks." His voice is soft but strong, his expression muted but peaceful. His hair flows around his head, braids gently drifting in the wind. "I've got this. You two go ahead to the other districts." 

The alligator squeaks, waving them back to the helicopter. It gives Zuke a cheerful wave, which he happily returns, before taking off into the sky at breakneck speed once more. 

Each charter returns in a similar fashion, rising high above their district; Yinu standing on her mother's shoulder, waving down at Tatiana; Jay with his band and piano, all six of them thanking the two of them for their help and accepting their apologies; the DJ with a flick of a virtual tail, happy to be back; and Sayu's team, all four of them separate sitting large on the roof of her planetarium, cheering them on. 

The satellite is an imposing, imminent threat by the time they touch down near the plaza. Ahead of them stands a massive wall of SRA drones, with Kliff at the back of their ranks. His broken glasses barely manage to stay on his face, a useless mess of glass and plastic. 

"You'll never make it!" He yells, standing on the edge of the Qwasa fountain. "I told you, I'd make sure of it!" 

"There's too many of them!" Tatiana swings through three of them in one go, setting another group of them ablaze. Nadia plays as loud as she can and they still keep coming, slowly swarming the plaza, sending out shockwaves. They overwhelm the two of them through sheer numbers. "Nadia, you go on ahead to the Qwasa! I'll hold them off." 

Nadia hesitates. But Tatiana stands tall and crushes yet another drone, flames consuming them, slowly thinning the crowd. Tatiana holds out a hand; Nadia takes it. "Okay!" 

Tatiana throws her over the wall of drones and right onto the Qwasa stage. Kliff turns around, eyes wide - in the next moment Mayday rushes in and slams her guitar into his side, knocking him across the road, his tablet shattering. He glares at her before scrambling away, finally powerless. 

"And don't come back!" She yells. She turns to Nadia, smiling as she takes her guitar under one arm, vibrant pink contrasting her dark, red and black dress. Mayday sighs, "Whoo, that felt good. Now c'mon, let's do this!" 

The Qwasa rises up beneath them, slowly revealing the expanse of Vinyl City, its charters standing strong above it. The four kids come together to form Sayu; the DJ takes up his trident; Jay plays a few experimental notes, his band getting in tune; Yinu climbs into her mother's heart shaped cockpit; and finally, Zuke throws his jacket aside to reveal all six of his arms. Mayday raises her guitar high above her head, and her pose is warmly familiar, Nadia thinks. 

"Alright, everyone! You know what to do!" Mayday gives her guitar a strum, the chord echoing all the way across the city. Slowly the charters build the song, playing as one, and Nadia joins. Slowly a giant ball of energy forms above the Qwasa, crackling every color of the rainbow, fire licking along its surface. Mayday turns to Nadia, throwing her arm back, her pick glistening in her hand. "Here goes nothing." 

There's a burst of light as Mayday strikes the final chord, and Nadia can barely see as the ball rockets forward and crashes into the satellite, obliterating it. A shower of rainbow dust cascades down around them, covering both her and Mayday in a prismatic rain. Nadia blinks furiously, clearing the light from her eyes. 

"Mayday..?" When she can finally see again, Nadia sees that her pupils are filled with bright white stars, empty eyes no longer so. Mayday blinks, smiling sheepishly, aware of this fact. "You're finally back, huh?" 

"I guess so." Her face falls as she turns to look out over the horizon, crystals still raining down. Her hair hangs long over her shoulders, stained pink and green and yellow. She takes a deep breath and sighs, shoulders rising and falling. "Now I just have to... bring the city back, too." 

"You don't have to do it alone." Nadia says, putting a hand on her shoulder. Behind them, the Qwasa shines brighter than it ever has, the ground warm beneath their feet. She charters slowly disappear beyond the sharp line of the buildings throughout the rings, sinking out of view. "I'd be happy to help you shoulder the burden. It's a lot of work for one person." 

"I'd like that." Mayday smiles again, running a hand through her hair and coiling some of it around her finger. She lets it go to brush some of the dust from her arm and finds it sticking to her. She laughs, "We'll have to clean this mess up first." 

"I'll bring my mop." Nadia chuckles. Mayday laughs again, louder this time, smiling wide and showing her teeth. Nadia gets the feeling she hasn't laughed like this in a long time. She pats her on the arm. "In the end, I think things will be just fine." 

"After everything," Mayday quiets, wiping her eye against the back of her hand. She grins. "I think so, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song inspo for this chapter is:  
> concentric circles by yichen  
> centimeter johnny by switchworks  
> biotonic by onoken


	8. Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanted to write something short to finally finish this fic up, and to give some promise for the future of this au! as always, thank you so much for reading. without your support, this probably never would have come to be.  
> again, thanks so much! i hope you enjoyed :]

"To be honest, I'm worried. I know what I said," Tatiana sighs as she flops down onto one of the many crates backstage. She runs a hand through her hair, flames licking her fingers, magma moving up her arm beneath her skin. She knits her fingers in her lap, nervously tapping her foot against the concrete. "But it's hard not to worry about disappointed people. Especially such a big fan." 

"I understand. Still, you know that whatever happens, she'll love it." Nadia puts a hand on her shoulder and gives her a consoling pat. The buzz of the crowd makes its way all the way backstage, muffled by thick walls and curtains. Nadia shakes her a little, giving her a soft smile - the least she can give after all Tatiana's done for her. "So long as you do your best, there's nothing to worry about, is there?" 

"Right. Okay," Tatiana stands and scoops her guitar up from the ground, bright orange metal flames licking its sharp edges. Her nails are black and the paint is chipped. Her hand rests around the neck of the guitar like it was made for it and nothing else. She ruffles Nadia's hair. "Wish me luck." 

Nadia watches as Tatiana steps out onstage, standing tall beside Mayday. They exchange a glance and words that Nadia can't hear, and when Mayday shouts over the audience they roar right back. Her hair is cut short, braided tightly against her head. She raises her guitar up into the air and Tatiana raises a fist alongside her, and in the next instant the concert bursts to life. Their music penetrates the walls, enough that Nadia can hear it clearly. Tatiana's low voice sings a upbeat chorus, and Mayday's soon follows.  
Nadia leans against a stack of equipment crates and takes a moment to consider the two of them, as well as all the changes that have happened over the past month. 

Concerts like this have been popping up all over, indie bands are now permitted to play throughout the city; though Tatiana's signed herself onto her own record label, she plays among them. They provide power for the city that the charters can't provide on their own, and Tatiana's new company, No Straight Roads, seeks to give opportunities to anyone who wishes to play. It suits her, taking charge like that. Her gentle hand helps guide people to the futures they dream of. 

Mayday's new efforts towards restoration are helping renew SRA in the public eye. She seems happier now, even if her and Nadia are more busy these days than they've ever been before. Nadia's more than happy to help. Mayday's funny and bright and kind and a little too loud, now that she can freely be herself. It's comforting to have such a presence leading the charge towards Vinyl City's future. 

Zuke has moved back home with West, even though he calls and visits often. He's looking healthier these days, happier, and he sends Nadia pictures of his crocodiles practically every other day. She should probably return the favor and come visit him instead sometime soon. Apparently their house is right by the sea, with a rice paddy for a backyard and a marsh not far away. It'd be nice to get away from her responsibilities for a few days. 

Nadia finds herself feeling better these days, too, probably from a combination of things. She's signed onto Tatiana's label, but she's taking Zuke's place as Dream Fever charter. SRA is much more open to new applicants, and is opening so many new positions. With this rush of prosperity, the city might see a new period of growth. Nadia's excited to see what next year's audition prospects will be, and even more excited that she gets to judge them herself. The few applications they've already gotten remind her of herself already. 

Already the city seems so much brighter. The future is uncertain but looking up, and she never could've gotten where she is now by herself. She can't thank Tatiana enough for what she's done. She can't thank Mayday enough for being willing to change, either. Her heart swells at the thought of everything that's happened, and at the knowledge that she got to be a part of it. 

Nadia looks out past the curtain and sees two veritable stars, burning hotter than the sun. She smiles to herself and watches flames dance across the stage and knows, deep in her chest, that everything will turn out alright in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my final song for this fic is landscape, by low pass. if you get the chance, please give it a listen. it partly helped inspire this au in the first place.  
> thanks for reading :]!


End file.
